lure1
/l(j)ʊə
/verb [with object and adverbial]
Tempt (a person or animal) to do something or to go somewhere, especially by offering some form of reward: the child was lured into a car but managed to escape...
- He lured both girls into his car under the guise he was a punter and then drove them several miles away.
- Until now the emphasis was more on luring foreign tourists to the country and the domestic travellers have been missed out.
- Donaldson is accused of luring his wife into the disused house on the caravan site at Crianlarich, where he had stored a box of large fireworks.
Synonyms
tempt, entice, attract, induce, coax, persuade, inveigle, allure, seduce, win over, cajole, beguile, bewitch, ensnare, captivate, enrapture;
decoy, draw, lead (on);
whet someone's appetite
noun
1Something that tempts or is used to tempt a person or animal to do something: the film industry always has been a glamorous lure for young girls...
- Effective and safe trapping requires knowledge of the habits of beaver, habitat conditions, and presence of nontarget animals as well as knowledge of the trap and lures.
- Ramsbottom has largely shed its image as an industrial centre to become a lure for young families and professionals.
1.1The strongly attractive quality of a person or thing: the lure of the exotic East...
- A chance to fight at the Olympics is obviously hugely attractive as is the lure of the professional game where there is so much money to be made.
- We have seen our skilled nurses and teachers packing up as a result of the lure of more attractive overseas packages.
- I can't resist the lure of an attractive handbag, especially if it is small and sparkly.
2A type of bait used in fishing or hunting.I will divide this section into two, dealing with trolling with lures and baits....
- Side planers are used to troll lures and baits well out to the side of a moving boat.
- The usual assortment of spinnerbaits, swimming plugs, topwater lures and soft plastics is sufficient to test the potential of most small and relatively shallow ponds.
2.1 Falconry A bunch of feathers with a piece of meat attached to a long string, swung around the head of the falconer to recall a hawk.Then I noticed something moving - a feathery lure, waving back and forth like a fishing rod....
- Hawk owls are routinely attracted to the small lure from nearly a mile away.
Origin
Middle English: from Old French luere, of Germanic origin; probably related to German Luder 'bait'.
Rhymes
lure2
/lʊə/noun
Variant spelling of lur.