sb. Forms: 5 lukir, lukre, 6 lucar, lucur, (?) lycur, 6–7 luker, 7 lukar, 4– lucre. [ad. (either directly, or through F. lucre) L. lucrum, f. WAryan root *lū-, leu-, lou-, whence Gr. ἀπο-λαύειν to enjoy, Goth. launs, OHG. lôn, mod.G. lohn wages, reward.]
1. Gain, profit, pecuniary advantage. Now only with unfavorable implication: Gain viewed as a low motive for action; ‘pelf.’ Filthy lucre: (see FILTHY 4 b); so † foul lucre. † Also pl.
c. 1380. Wyclif, Wks. (1880), 172. Þei traueilen faste about here owene worldly honour and lucre. Ibid. (1388), Ezek. xxii. 27. In suynge lucris gredili.
c. 1412. Hoccleve, De Reg. Princ., 1544. Þus bothe oure þanke & lucre gon a-weye.
1477. Rolls of Parlt., VI. 187/2. They shuld have for lucre, favorable Enquestes of comers to the said Feyres.
1503–4. Act 19 Hen. VII., c. 19. Preamble, For their owne spede and lucre they suffer their ledder to passe untruly coryed.
a. 1533. Ld. Berners, Gold. Bk. M. Aurel. (1546), U v. Theyr owne handes open for theyr owne propre lucres.
1540. Taverner, Flores Aliquot Sentent., A vj b. Preferre dammage afore fowle lucre.
1576. Fleming, Panopl. Epist., 283. They sel the fruits of their lands with lucre.
1605. Bacon, Adv. Learn., I. v. § 11. 26. Men haue entered into a desire of Learning and Knowledge … for lukar and profession.
1611. Bible, 1 Sam. viii. 3. His sonnes … turned aside after lucre, and tooke bribes.
1669. Gale, Crt. Gentiles, I. I. ix. 49. The Phenicians, for lucres sake, sailed throughout the world.
1697. Dryden, Virg. Georg., II. 717. From his lov’d Home no Lucre him can draw.
1734. Berkeley, Let. to T. Prior, 2 March. Wks. 1871, IV. 215. A greater greediness for lucre than I hope I shall ever have.
1768. Beattie, Minstr., I. lx. At lucre or renown let others aim.
1804. Wellington, in Gurw., Desp., III. 23. Putting lucre out of the question, I am of opinion that we shall gain more influence.
1834. Lytton, Pompeii, II. ii. In the earlier times of Rome the priesthood was a profession, not of lucre but of honour.
1862. Ld. Brougham, Brit. Const., App. iii. 457. He wrote for lucre the party’s speech which he was to deliver in his own person.
personified. 1606. Wily Beguiled, 30. Thus Lucre, set in golden Chaire of state, When learning’s bid Stand by, and keepes a loofe.
† 2. Const. of. a. Gain or profit derived from (something) (obs.). b. Acquisition of (something profitable) (obs. exc. arch.).
The phr. lucre of gain, frequent in 17th c., is echoed as an archaism by some writers of the 19th c.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Prioress’ T., 39. Foule vsure and lucre of vileynye.
1390. Gower, Conf., III. 380. Uppon the lucre of merchandie, Compassement and tricherie Of singuler profit to wynne.
c. 1430. Lydg., Reas. & Sens. (E.E.T.S.), 1335. For now vnneth[e] ther ys noone That loueth but for lucre of gode.
1576. Fleming, Panopl. Epist., 267. Such as … sell their skill and labour for lucre of monie.
1632. B. Jonson, Magn. Lady, V. vi. Love to my Child, and lucre of the portion Provok’d me.
a. 1667. Cowley, Agric. in Verses & Ess. (1687), 99. The Utility [of Agriculture] (I mean plainly the Lucre of it) is not so great now in our Nation as arises from Merchandise.
1697. C’tess. D’Aunoy’s Trav. (1706), 198. These Men of War ought not to carry any Merchants Goods, but the Lucre of Gain tempts them.
1704. N. N., trans. Boccalini’s Advts. fr. Parnass., I. 73. To write a Barbarous Recipe, purely for the Lucre of a Guinea.
1720. De Foe, Capt. Singleton (1840), xviii. 309. A Malabar, for the lucre of a knife, conducted them to a Dutch town.
1758. Johnson, Idler, No. 67, ¶ 5. It is … love, and not lucre of gain.
1805. Southey, Lett. (1856), I. 314. I am going to make a book for the lucre of gain.
a. 1849. H. Coleridge, Ess. (1851), I. 85. Sometimes, too, the prolific are led, by the lucre of gain, to deck the childless with parental honours. Adopted books are as common as adopted children.
Hence † Lucre v., to make gain. † Lucring vbl. sb. and ppl. a.
1570. Levins, Manip., 78/26. To Luker, lucrari. Ibid., 182/35. To Lucre, lucrari.
1573. A. Anderson, Expos. Hymn Benedict, 75 b. Such popish Masse priestes … frame themselues to euery chaunge, thereby to satisfy their lucring lust.
1615. Brathwait, Strappado (1878), 105. Such lucring Mammonists the heauens displease.
