lustre

American  

[luhs-ter] / ˈlʌs tər /

noun

lustred, lustring

1. Chiefly British. a variant of luster.

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lustre British  

/ ˈlʌstə /

noun

1. reflected light; sheen; gloss

2. radiance or brilliance of light

3. great splendour of accomplishment, beauty, etc

4. a substance used to polish or put a gloss on a surface

5. a vase or chandelier from which hang cut-glass drops

6. a drop-shaped piece of cut glass or crystal used as a decoration on a chandelier, vase, etc

7. 1. a shiny metallic surface on some pottery and porcelain

   2. ( as modifier )

      lustre decoration

8. mineralogy the way in which light is reflected from the surface of a mineral. It is one of the properties by which minerals are defined

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verb

1. to make, be, or become lustrous

Other Word Forms

• lustreless adjective
• lustrous adjective

Etymology

Origin of lustre

C16: from Old French, from Old Italian lustro, from Latin lustrāre to make bright; related to _lustrum

Example Sentences

Versace's lustre had been waning in recent years, unlike that of the Prada Group, which is in robust health, fuelled by strong sales of its younger Miu Miu Line.

From Barron's • Dec. 2, 2025

Mr Dale points out Mr Johnson has no formal connection to the club, accusing him of using Grimsby "to add lustre and glamour to his own shattered life".

From BBC • Dec. 8, 2023

The mold is hand polished to a mirror finish, giving the bumper its lustre.

From Reuters • Sep. 18, 2023

In part, this has been due to the Hollywood lustre bestowed on champions Wrexham by its owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney.

From BBC • May 13, 2023

Then the backgrounds ought to be neither too bright nor too dim, so that the shadows may not obscure the images nor the lustre make them glitter.

From "Words Like Loaded Pistols" by Sam Leith