lure means something that tempts or attracts, especially one with a promise of reward or pleasure. It carries an Arena rating of 1631, earned across 11 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, lure ranks #4,349 of 17,130 for Most Beautiful Words, #11,407 of 17,163 for Funniest Words, #11,477 of 17,126 for Most Satisfying to Say.
lure is pronounced /ˈlʊə̯/.
Why “lure” is a great word
A crafted object or promise designed to tempt or attract, often by holding out a deceptive reward. Its etymology traces from Middle English, from Anglo-Norman lure, from Old French loirre (Modern French leurre), from Frankish *lōþr, from Proto-Germanic *lōþr- (perhaps related to *laþō, "invitation, calling"), first recorded in English in the late 14th century. Unlike "attract," which neutrally draws interest, or "bait," which is a concrete snare for an animal, a lure is an act of psychological theater. It is the glint of a spinner in murky water, the neon promise of a distant casino, and the impossible perfection of a story told too well—a crafted illusion of fulfillment that makes the hook, once swallowed, taste of one's own longing.
Etymology
From Anglo-Norman lure, from Old French loirre (Modern French leurre), from Frankish *lōþr, from Proto-Germanic *lōþr-, perhaps ultimately related to *laþō (“invitation, calling”), or from Proto-Indo-European *leh₂- (“to hide”). Compare English allure, also from Old French. Probably related to German Luder (“bait”).
noun
- Something that tempts or attracts, especially one with a promise of reward or pleasure.e.g.“How many have with a smile made small account
Of Beauty and her lures” — 1671, John Milton, “The First Book”, in Paradise Regain’d. A Poem. In IV Books. To which is Added, Samson Agonistes, London: […] J[ohn] M[acock] for John Starkey […], →OCLC, page 2:
- An artificial bait attached to a fishing line to attract fish.e.g.“the inch-at-a-time flutter of a surface lure” — July 1976, Frank Sargent, “High-Speed Bass”, in Field & Stream, page 111:
- A bunch of feathers attached to a line, used in falconry to recall the hawk.
- A velvet smoothing brush.
verb
- To attract by temptation, appeal, or guile.
- To attract fish with a lure.
- To recall a hawk with a lure.
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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