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luster

/ˈlʌstər/
/ˈlʌstə/
IPA guide

Other forms: lusters

Something with luster has a certain kind of sheen or shininess, like the way a new pair of shoes looks right before you step into a pile of mud.

Luster is a noun that commonly refers to a soft sheen, glossy surface, or brightness. It comes from the Italian word lustro, which means "to make bright." Daniel Defoe, author of the novel Robinson Crusoe, once famously said, “The soul is placed in the body like a rough diamond, and must be polished, or the luster of it will never appear.”

Definitions of luster
  1. noun
    the visual property of something that shines with reflected light
    synonyms: lustre, sheen, shininess
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    type of:
    effulgence, radiance, radiancy, refulgence, refulgency, shine
    the quality of being bright and sending out rays of light
  2. noun
    a surface coating for ceramics or porcelain
    synonyms: lustre
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    type of:
    glaze
    a coating for ceramics, metal, etc.
  3. noun
    a quality that outshines the usual
    see moresee less
    type of:
    brightness
    the location of a visual perception along a continuum from black to white
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