lowercase adj 1: relating to small (not capitalized) letters that were kept in the lower half of a compositor's type case; "lowercase letters; a and b and c etc" [ant: {uppercase}] n 1: the characters that were once kept in bottom half of a compositor's type case [syn: {small letter}, {lowercase}, {lower-case letter}, {minuscule}] [ant: {capital}, {capital letter}, {majuscule}, {upper-case letter}, {uppercase}]
lowercase \low"er*case`\, Lower-case \Low"er-case`\, a. (Print.) Pertaining to, or kept in, the lower case; -- used to denote the small letters, in distinction from capitals and small capitals; as, lowercase letters a and b and c etc.. Contrasted with {uppercase}. See the Note under 1st {Case}, n., 3. [1913 Webster]