# lute

/ˈɫut/ (US) · /lˈuːt/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/lute
Updated: 2026-08-27

## Senses

### 2. sealant or cement

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical

a thick, sticky clay or cement used to fill holes and make things airtight.

For teachers: a tenacious cement or clay composition used to seal joints or coat vessels to protect them from heat or air.

- The worker applied a layer of lute to the pipe to stop the air leak.
- In traditional chemistry, a specialized lute was applied to the glass joints of the apparatus to ensure a vacuum-tight seal during distillation.

### 3. to seal with clay

verb · CEFR C2 · Technical

to close or fix something using a special sticky clay.

For teachers: to seal, cover, or coat a joint or surface with a lute composition.

- They had to lute the furnace door to keep the heat inside.
- The technician carefully luted the edges of the crucible before placing it in the high-temperature oven for the experiment.

## Examples

- The musician played a beautiful piece on the lute.
- During the Renaissance, the lute was the most popular instrument for both solo performances and accompanying singers.
- The museum's collection features several rare lutes from the 16th century, showcasing the intricate woodwork and the evolution of the instrument's tuning system.

---

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.