ENGLISH
REFERENCE

lustre

n.
C1 Advanced US //ˈɫəstɝ// UK //lˈʌstɐ// lus·tre Archaic Literary

n. a shiny or glossy appearance on a surface. You often see this on things like polished stones or metals.

n. a smooth, glossy, or shining appearance on a surface. Often used in geological or mineralogical contexts to describe the reflective quality of a mineral.


SIMPLE

The polished stone has a beautiful lustre.

CONTEXTUAL

The geologist examined the mineral's lustre under a lamp to help identify its type.

COMPLEX

While the rock's internal structure was relatively simple, its surface exhibited a striking metallic lustre that suggested the presence of rare trace elements.

Synonyms
Etymology 1

From Middle French lustre. See luster (etymology 1).

Etymology 2

From Middle English lustre, from Latin lustrum, from Old Latin *loustrom, of uncertain origin. More at lustrum.

Etymology 3

From Latin lustra (“wilds, woods”), thought to derive from unattested dustrum, from unattested Ancient Greek δύστρον (*dústron, “place animals wallow”), from δύω (dúō, “to plunge, to wallow”).

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