LURE (lures)

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

Irregular inflected form: lures   

 Dictionary entry overview: What does lure mean? 

• LURE (noun)
  The noun LURE has 3 senses:

1. qualities that attract by seeming to promise some kind of reward

2. anything that serves as an enticement

3. something used to lure fish or other animals into danger so they can be trapped or killed

  Familiarity information: LURE used as a noun is uncommon.

• LURE (verb)
  The verb LURE has 1 sense:

1. provoke someone to do something through (often false or exaggerated) promises or persuasion

  Familiarity information: LURE used as a verb is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• LURE (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Qualities that attract by seeming to promise some kind of reward

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Synonyms:

come-on; enticement; lure

Hypernyms ("lure" is a kind of...):

attraction; attractiveness (the quality of arousing interest; being attractive or something that attracts)

Derivation:

lure (provoke someone to do something through (often false or exaggerated) promises or persuasion)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Anything that serves as an enticement

Classified under:

Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents

Synonyms:

bait; come-on; hook; lure; sweetener

Hypernyms ("lure" is a kind of...):

enticement; temptation (something that seduces or has the quality to seduce)

Derivation:

lure (provoke someone to do something through (often false or exaggerated) promises or persuasion)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Something used to lure fish or other animals into danger so they can be trapped or killed

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Synonyms:

bait; decoy; lure

Hypernyms ("lure" is a kind of...):

device (an instrumentality invented for a particular purpose)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "lure"):

chum (bait consisting of chopped fish and fish oils that are dumped overboard to attract fish)

fish lure; fisherman's lure ((angling) any bright artificial bait consisting of plastic or metal mounted with hooks and trimmed with feathers)

ground bait (bait scattered on the water to attract fish)

stool pigeon (a dummy pigeon used to decoy others)

Holonyms ("lure" is a part of...):

trap (a device in which something (usually an animal) can be caught and penned)

Derivation:

lure (provoke someone to do something through (often false or exaggerated) promises or persuasion)

• LURE (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they lure    ... he / she / it lures   
Past simple: lured   
Past participle: lured   
-ing form: luring   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Provoke someone to do something through (often false or exaggerated) promises or persuasion

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Synonyms:

entice; lure; tempt

Context example:

He lured me into temptation

Hypernyms (to "lure" is one way to...):

provoke; stimulate (provide the needed stimulus for)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "lure"):

hook; snare (entice and trap)

seduce (lure or entice away from duty, principles, or proper conduct)

call (lure by imitating the characteristic call of an animal)

stool (lure with a stool, as of wild fowl)

lead on (entice or induce especially when unwise or mistaken)

tweedle (entice through the use of music)

decoy (lure or entrap with or as if with a decoy)

bait (lure, entice, or entrap with bait)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s somebody
Somebody ----s somebody into V-ing something

Derivation:

lure (something used to lure fish or other animals into danger so they can be trapped or killed)

lure (qualities that attract by seeming to promise some kind of reward)

lure (anything that serves as an enticement)

 Context examples 

The £ 4 a week was a lure which must draw him, and what was it to them, who were playing for thousands?

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Never fear that I wish to lure you into error—to make you my mistress.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

This is the more natural as the favourite game of the little ones at present is luring each other away by wiles.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

It was a lure to all that was fundamental in her sex.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

Step by step she was luring him away from the security of his human companionship.

(White Fang, by Jack London)

Best of all, you will be able to take advantage of Black Friday (November 29) or Cyber Monday (December 2) when retailers lure customers with great prices.

(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)

It was the Ghost herself that lured Johnson into signing for the voyage, but he is already beginning to repent.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

"You don't want me, John?" Her voice was soft and caressing, her hand rested like a lure.

(Love of Life and Other Stories, by Jack London)

At such moments he charged Buck, who retreated craftily, luring him on by a simulated inability to escape.

(The Call of the Wild, by Jack London)

As our house now wanted business on any terms, we joined this noble band; and threw out lures to the hangers-on and outsiders, to bring their business to us.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)