# Lucas

/ˈɫukəs/ (US)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/lucas
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 1. given name

noun · CEFR A1

a common first name for a man.

For teachers: a male given name of Latin origin, cognate with Luke.

- Lucas and his brother are coming over for dinner tonight.
- The name Lucas has seen a significant resurgence in popularity across Western Europe and North America over the last two decades.

### 2. surname

noun · CEFR A1

a family name or last name.

For teachers: a common surname originating as a patronymic.

- Mr. Lucas is the new science teacher at the local high school.
- The historical records indicate that the Lucas family settled in this region during the mid-nineteenth century.

### 4. to edit excessively

verb · CEFR C1 · Slang · Informal

to go back and change a finished film or story many times, often making it worse.

For teachers: to retroactively alter a creative work, especially a film, by adding digital effects or changing plot points. Named after filmmaker George Lucas.

- Fans were annoyed when the director decided to Lucas the original movie with new effects.
- Critics argued that the decision to Lucas the trilogy's climax with unnecessary CGI detracted from the emotional weight of the original performances.

## Examples

- He survived the blast without a scratch; what a Lucas.
- The squad started calling him Lucas after he walked through the minefield completely unharmed while everyone else took cover.
- In the cynical lexicon of the infantry, a Lucas is often regarded with a mixture of genuine awe and superstitious resentment by those whose luck has proven more fragile.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.