n.
- Soft reflected light; sheen.
- Brilliance or radiance of light; brightness.
- Glory, radiance, distinction, or splendor, as of achievement, reputation, or beauty.
- A glass pendant, especially on a chandelier.
- A decorative object, such as a chandelier, that gives off light.
- Any of various substances, such as wax or glaze, used to give an object a gloss or polish.
- The surface glossiness of ceramic ware after glazing, especially the metallic sheen of lusterware.
- A fabric, such as alpaca, having a glossy surface.
- The appearance of a mineral surface judged by its brilliance and ability to reflect light.
v., -tered, -ter·ing, -ters. v.tr.
- To give a gloss, glaze, or sheen to.
- To give or add glory, radiance, distinction, or splendor to.
To be or become lustrous.
[French lustre, from Old French, from Old Italian lustro, from lustrare, to make bright, from Latin lūstrāre, from lūstrum, purification.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
