Lus"ter Lus"tre (?), n. [L.
lustrum: cf. F. lustre.] A period of five years; a
lustrum.
Both of us have closed the tenth
luster.
Bolingbroke.
{ Lus"ter, Lus"tre, } n. [F.
lustre; cf. It. lustro; both fr. L. lustrare to
purify, go about (like the priests at the lustral sacrifice),
traverse, survey, illuminate, fr. lustrum a purificatory
sacrifice; perh. akin to E. loose. But lustrare to
illuminate is perh. a different word, and akin to L. lucere to
be light or clear, to shine. See Lucid, and cf.
Illustrious, Lustrum.]
1. Brilliancy; splendor; brightness;
glitter.
The right mark and very true luster of the
diamond.
Sir T. More.
The scorching sun was mounted high,
In all its luster, to the noonday sky.
Addison.
&fist; There is a tendency to limit the use of luster, in
this sense, to the brightness of things which do not shine with their
own light, or at least do not blaze or glow with heat. One speaks of
the luster of a diamond, or of silk, or even of the stars, but
not often now of the luster of the sun, a coal of fire, or the
like.
2. Renown; splendor; distinction;
glory.
His ancestors continued about four hundred years,
rather without obscurity than with any great
luster.
Sir H. Wotton.
3. A candlestick, chandelier, girandole, or
the like, generally of an ornamental character.
Pope.
4. (Min.) The appearance of the
surface of a mineral as affected by, or dependent upon, peculiarities
of its reflecting qualities.
&fist; The principal kinds of luster recognized are:
metallic, adamantine, vitreous, resinous,
greasy, pearly, and silky. With respect to
intensity, luster is characterized as splendent,
shining, glistening, glimmering, and
dull.
5. A substance which imparts luster to a
surface, as plumbago and some of the glazes.
6. A fabric of wool and cotton with a
lustrous surface, -- used for women's dresses.
Luster ware, earthenware decorated by
applying to the glazing metallic oxides, which acquire brilliancy in
the process of baking.
{ Lus"ter, Lus"tre, } v. t.
[imp. & p. p. Lustred (?); p. pr. &
vb. n. Lustering, or Lustring.] To make
lustrous. [R. & Poetic]
Flooded and lustered with her loosened
gold.
Lowell.
Lus"tre (?), n. Same as
Luster.
