Also 6 Sc. lustir, 6– (now U.S.) luster. [a. F. lustre masc., = Sp., Pg. lustre, It. lustro, Rumanian lustru; a Com. Rom. vbl. sb. f. L. lūstrāre to illumine, prob. repr. an earlier *lūc-strāre f. lūc-, lūx light.]
1. The quality or condition of shining by reflected light; sheen, refulgence; gloss.
Often with adj., as metallic, pearly, silky, waxy lustre.
c. 1522. More, De quat. Noviss., Wks. 73/2. He that by good vse and experyence, hathe in his eye the ryghte marke and very trewe lustre of the Dyamonte. Ibid. (1529), Dyaloge, I. Ibid., 159/2. The iewell,… the bryght lustre where of bleryd eyes might not endure to beholde.
1601. Shaks., Jul. C., I. ii. 124. That same Eye, whose bend doth awe the World, Did loose his Lustre.
1670. in 12th Rep. Hist. MSS. Comm., App. V. 15. Theire ordnary designes [in tapestry] … with a whiles use will soone loose their luster.
1727–41. Chambers, Cycl., s.v., Curriers give a lustre, or gloss to their leather, several ways, according to the colour to be illustrated.
1738. Gray, Tasso, 65. All stones of lustre shoot their vivid ray.
1830. D’Israeli, Chas. I., III. vii. 135. The dark and dazzling lustre of her eyes frequently shone in tears.
1845. G. E. Day, trans. Simon’s Anim. Chem., I. 77. Minute scales of caprate of baryta, of a fatty lustre.
1845. Darwin, Voy. Nat., I. (1879), 8. A coating of a hard glossy substance with a pearly lustre.
1871. W. H. G. Kingston, Banks of Amazon (1872), 118. The wool [of the alpaca] appeared very long, soft, fine, and of a silky lustre.
1878. Huxley, Physiogr., 75. Cut a piece of lead or of zinc, and observe the lustre of its fresh surface.
b. rarely in pl. Appearances of luster.
1614. Tomkis, Albumazar, II. iii. (1615), D 4. By the whitenesse and bright sparkling lustres We allure th’ Intelligences to descend.
a. 1625. Beaum. & Fl., Custom Country, V. v. She being set in yeares next, none of those lusters Appearing in her eye, that warme the fancy.
1841–4. Emerson, Ess., Love, Wks. (Bohn), I. 76. Like opaline doves’-neck lustres, hovering and evanescent.
c. concr. pl. Applied to the eyes.
1810. F. Dudley, Amoroso, I. 118 (Fitzedw. Hall).
d. A material or composition used to impart a luster to manufactured articles.
1727–41. Chambers, Cycl., s.v., For very black furs, they sometimes prepare a lustre of galls, copperas, Roman alum,… and other ingredients.
1875. [see LUSTRING vbl. sb. b].
2. Luminosity, brilliancy, bright light; luminous splendor.
1549. Compl. Scot., vi. 53. The spere & hauyn of Venus … is ane grit sterne of ane meruelous lustir.
1596. Spenser, F. Q., V. xi. 58. With bils and glayves making a dreadfull luster.
1632. J. Hayward, trans. Biondi’s Eromena, 40. Her three lanthornes … afforded the greater lustre, because of the chrystal, cut diamond-wise.
1646. Sir T. Browne, Pseud. Ep., I. v. 19. God expects no lustre from the minor stars.
1694. Addison, Ovid’s Met., Misc. Wks. 1726, I. 195. And now the scorching Sun was mounted high, In all its lustre.
1782. Wolcot (P. Pindar), Lyric Odes to R. Acad., v. Thus stars, when pinch’d by frost, cast keener lustre.
1799. Vince, Elem. Astron., xxi. (1810), 229. Obstructing the lustre of the sun’s beams.
1840. Dickens, Barn. Rudge, xlvii. The sun was shining with uncommon lustre.
1893. Sir R. Ball, Story of Sun, 218. The lustre of the most remote part of the corona … was about one eight-hundreth part of the brightness of the Moon.
b. concr. A shining body or form.
1742. Young, Nt. Th., V. 307. As glaring day Of these unnumber’d lustres robs our sight.
1814. Cary, Dante, Par., V. 126. [I] turn’d Toward the lustre, that with greeting kind Erewhile had hail’d me.
3. transf. Radiant beauty or splendor (of the countenance, of natural objects, etc.).
1602. Marston, Antonio’s Rev., I. ii. Wks. 1856, I. 78. Till the soile of griefe Were cleared your cheeke, and new burnisht lustre Cloath’d your presence.
1727. Gay, Begg. Op., I. vii. Virgins are like the fair flower in its lustre.
1728–46. Thomson, Autumn, 1320. When Autumn’s yellow lustre gilds the world.
1844. Disraeli, Coningsby, I. i. His countenance, radiant with health and the lustre of innocence.
1887. Bowen, Virg. Æneid, I. 591. Manhood’s glorious lustre and noble joy in his eyes.
4. fig. in various applications, esp. Brilliance or splendor of renown; glory. Often in phrases, to add lustre to, to shed or throw lustre on, etc. Also, splendid beauty (of language, sentiments, etc.).
c. 1555. Harpsfield, Divorce Hen. VIII. (Camden), 69. The third chapter … casteth forth a very jolly glistering lustre of many goodly illations of such things as … make little against us.
1580. Sidney, Ps. XXXVII. iv. Like the light, he shall display Thy justice in most shining lustre.
1614. Raleigh, Hist. World, III. (1634), 112. These actions, together with his honourable behaviour, which added much to their lustre, were more glorious than profitable.
1629. Maxwell, trans. Herodian (1635), 185. Hee affected popular Lustre by frequent exhibiting most Stately Shewes.
1634. W. Tirwhyt, trans. Balzac’s Lett., 85. The … chastity of Stile, which lendeth a luster to your elaborate writings.
1641. J. Jackson, True Evang. T., III. 202. I hold mine own Religion so good, as it needs not fetch lustre from the disgrace of another.
1713. Addison, Cato, I. i. How does the lustre of our father’s actions, Through the dark cloud of ills that cover him, Break out.
a. 1715. Burnet, Own Time (1724), I. 304. The Duke of Richmond was sent to give a lustre to that negociation.
1741. Middleton, Cicero, I. i. 1. His birth … was attended by prodigies, foretelling the future eminence and luster of his character.
1756–82. J. Warton, Ess. Pope (ed. 4), I. iv. 239. The pomp and lustre of his language.
1760–72. H. Brooke, Fool of Qual. (1809), III. 3. She was … charmed by the lustre of his sentiments.
1769. Robertson, Chas. V., II. Wks. 1813, V. 295. It threw great lustre on his administration.
1776. Gibbon, Decl. & F., xi. I. 295. The virtues of Claudius … place him in that short list of emperors who added lustre to the Roman purple.
1874. H. R. Reynolds, John Bapt., IV. iv. 253. Mythical lustre illumined all the historic facts of Abraham’s life.
1880. Disraeli, Endym., I. xix. 166. As she dilated on the past, she seemed to share its lustre and its triumphs.
1882. Pebody, Eng. Journalism, xx. 152. Its future is a future which … is likely to add fresh lustre to the Newspaper Press.
† b. Something that adds luster; a glory. Obs.
a. 1625. Beaum. & Fl., Wit without M., III. i. To thinke well of our selues, if we deserue it, is a luster in us.
1637–50. Row, Hist. Kirk (Wodrow Soc.), 436. Which virtues were most eminent in this singular servant of God, as a luster to his great learning.
a. 1647. Habington, Surv. Worc. in Proc. Worc. Hist. Soc., III. 359. The degree of knighthood, which is not onely a luster to a family, but giueth a precedence.
1647. Fuller, Holy War, V. xxx. 286. The Persian or the Tartarian or some other obscure Prince … shall have the lustre from God to maul this great Empire.
† c. External splendor, magnificence. Obs.
1658. Sir T. Browne, Hydriot., iv. (1736), 46. Solemnizing Nativities and Deaths with equal Lustre.
a. 1674. Clarendon, Hist. Reb., xi. § 169. They inveighed vehemently against lord bishops, their pride and lustre.
5. a. † A glass ball placed among artificial lights to increase the brightness of the illumination (obs.); also, one of the prismatic glass pendants often attached in circles to a chandelier or hung round the edge of an ornamental vase. b. A chandelier [the usual sense in Fr.].
1682. Wheler, Journ. Greece, II. 187. Hung with many great Circles of Lamps … intermixed with Lustres or Balls of Glass.
1716. Lady M. W. Montagu, Lett. to C’tess Mar, 8 Sept. The whole is made gay by pictures … and in almost every room large lustres of rock crystal.
1754. in Picton, L’pool Munic. Rec. (1886), II. 160. A glass lustre or chandelier.
1812. Moore, Intercepted Lett., viii. 45. Many a maid, with busy feet That sparkle in the Lustre’s ray.
1836–7. Dickens, Sk. Boz, Scenes, xxi. The remains of a lustre, without any drops.
1842. Francis, Dict. Arts, Lustre, a bright brass chandelier, suspended from a ceiling, as we see in churches, theatres, &c.
1851. Illustr. Catal. Gt. Exhib., 1133. A bronze lustre for sixty candles.
1865. M. Arnold, Ess. Crit., vii. (1875), 277. Lustres of coloured crystal.
6. a. A thin light dress material having a cotton (formerly also silk or linen) warp and woollen weft and a highly lustrous surface.
1831. G. R. Porter, Silk Manuf., 299. Poplins and lustres are … composed partly of silk and partly of worsted.
1877. Burroughs, Taxation, 555. Linen lustres … are dutiable.
1881. Daily News, 26 Aug., 5/1. We do not believe there lives a woman whose patriotism would induce her to wear an English lustre if she is able to buy a French cashmere.
b. A kind of wool having a lustrous surface.
1894. Times, 22 Jan., 13/4. The best lustres and demi-lustres are sure to be more in request than any other kinds.
7. attrib. and Comb., as lustre process, trade; in sense ‘having a lustrous or glossy surface,’ as lustre fabric, fleece, goods, wool; objective gen., as lustre-maker; lustre mottling, ‘the peculiar mottling seen in pœcilitic rocks’ (Webster, Suppl., 1902); lustre ware, cheap pottery with surface ornamentation in bright metallic colors.
1886. C. Scott, Sheep-farming, 192. If *lustre fabrics are out of fashion the demand for home-grown wool diminishes.
1891. Times, 15 Oct., 9/5. There is also a better inquiry for *lustre and demi-lustre fleeces.
1884. Pall Mall G., 13 Sept., 4/2. France has again begun to give out orders for *lustre goods.
1881. Daily News, 26 Aug., 5/1. The silk manufacturers of Lyons are … worse off while the taste for finely-wrought wool lasts than the Yorkshire *lustre makers.
1900. 19th Cent., Sept., 447. The *lustre process was known in Siena at a very early date.
1895. Daily News, 31 Dec., 2/7. In the twofold weft and *lustre trade there is an abundance of work.
1825. J. Nicholson, Operat. Mechanic, 476. *Lustre ware consists of an inferior quality of the materials worked into the usual forms, and having the hue of gold, platina, or copper, &c. fixed on the glaze.
1879. Cassell’s Techn. Educ., IV. 238/1. The wool … has a glistening appearance, which has earned for it the name *‘lustre wool.’
