luster

Meanings

Noun

• Shine, polish or sparkle.
• By extension, brilliance, attractiveness or splendor.
• Refinement, polish or quality.
• A candlestick, chandelier, girandole, etc. generally of an ornamental character.
• A substance that imparts lustre to a surface, such as plumbago or a glaze.
• Lusterware.
• A fabric of wool and cotton with a lustrous surface, used for women's dresses.
• A lustrum, quinquennium, a period of five years, originally the interval between Roman censuses.
• One who lusts or is inflamed with lust.

Verb

• To gleam, have luster.
• To give luster, distinguish.
• To give a coating or other treatment to impart physical luster.

Related

Opposite words

• dullness

Origin

• From Middle French lustre, from Old Italian lustro, from Latin lustrō ("I brighten"), akin to lux.
• From Middle English lustre, from Latin lustrum, from Old Latin *loustrom, of uncertain origin. More at lustrum.
• From lust + -er.