A Louvre Lets Air Through but Keeps Rain Out
A louvre is a set of angled slats. The design solves a specific problem, and it named a Paris palace long before a museum.
A louvre is an arrangement of angled slats admitting air while excluding rain and light. The design solves an old problem: medieval halls needed smoke to escape without letting weather in, and a slatted turret did the job. The Paris palace that became the museum probably took its name from a separate source, though the connection has been argued about for centuries.
- Angled slats. *A louvre window.*
- A ventilation turret. *A roof louvre.*
- Louver — the American spelling. *A louver panel.*
- Louvred — fitted with slats. *A louvred door.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | louvre | A metal louvre. |
| Plural | louvres | Ventilation louvres. |
| American | louver | A wooden louver. |
| Adjective | louvred | A louvred shutter. |
| Related | shutter | A closed shutter. |
How it is used in a sentence
- Louvred doors ventilate the cupboard.Airflow without a view in.
- Rain runs off the outer edge.The angle does the work.
- Louver is the American spelling.Like theater and center.
Where louvres are used
- Wardrobe doors — ventilation without visibility
- Air conditioning — directing airflow
- Shutters — light control
- Roof turrets — the medieval smoke vent
- Solar shading — angled slats on building facades
From Old French *lovier*, of uncertain origin, possibly from a Germanic word for a covering or foliage.
Louvre or louver?
Louvre is British, louver American. Both describe the same slatted arrangement.
Is the Paris museum named after it?
The connection is disputed. Several origins have been proposed for the palace name, and none is settled.