lure
Americannoun
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anything that attracts, entices, or allures.
- Synonyms:
- temptation
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the power of attracting or enticing.
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a decoy; live or especially artificial bait used in fishing or trapping.
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Falconry. a feathered decoy for attracting a hawk, swung at the end of a long line and sometimes baited with raw meat.
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a flap or tassel dangling from the dorsal fin of pediculate fishes, as the angler, that attracts prey to the mouth region.
verb (used with object)
idioms
verb
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to tempt or attract by the promise of some type of reward
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falconry to entice (a hawk or falcon) from the air to the falconer by a lure
noun
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a person or thing that lures
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angling any of various types of brightly-coloured artificial spinning baits, usually consisting of a plastic or metal body mounted with hooks and trimmed with feathers, etc See jig plug spoon
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falconry a feathered decoy to which small pieces of meat can be attached and which is equipped with a long thong
Other Word Forms
- lurement noun
- lurer noun
- luringly adverb
- unlured adjective
Etymology
Origin of lure
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Anglo-French, Old French luere ( French leurre ), from Frankish lothr- (unrecorded); cognate with Middle High German luoder, German Luder “bait”
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
What might the city have done to lure investment?
Backers say the overhaul will make it easier to hire and fire workers, luring more investment and boosting growth.
Some 55 Ghanaians have been killed while fighting in Ukraine, the country's foreign minister said on Friday, promising a crackdown on illicit recruitment schemes luring citizens to Russia under false pretences.
From Barron's
He lured her to Mexico City and became known as her boyfriend around the Trotsky house.
Texas is emerging as a US tech world El Dorado, luring investments with cheap energy, relaxed regulations, tax incentives and reasonably affordable real estate for massive data centers.
From Barron's
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
