A lough is a body of water and is either:
It can also be used as a surname, with various pronunciations: law, loch, low, lowe, loth. Lough is an Irish-English form of the Old Irish word loch, which means lake, or bay. The form Loch is also used in Irish English and Scottish English. Lough is also used for some bodies of water in the far north of England. Except when individually named, loughs are often referred to as lakes, fjords, estuaries and sea inlets. Thus lake district and estuary bed may be used in preference to lough district and lough bed. (This practice is not followed to anything like the same degree in English use of loch).
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Irish loughs
Almost all lakes in Ireland are named as "loughs" in their anglicised form. Lough Neagh in Ulster is the largest lake in the British Isles. The three on the River Shannon are Lough Allen, Lough Ree and Lough Derg. Upper and Lower Lough Erne are two consecutive lakes in Fermanagh, an area often referred to as "Ireland's lake district". For other loughs in Ireland, see List of Irish lochs and loughs. Sea loughs include Lough Swilly and Lough Foyle.
English loughs
In the north of England, "lough" survives in the name of some bodies of water and other place names. Many of these are in the vicinity of Hadrian's Wall, and also in the Lake District. See List of English loughs.
In surnames
"Lough" is itself an Irish surname, as well as being a compound in various other surnames, mostly derived fron specific Loughs, such as Loughan, Lougheed, Loughlin, Loughman, Loughnan, Loughnane, Loughney, Loughran and Loughrey.
