lust

plural lusts

1. countableuncountableA feeling of strong desire, especially such a feeling driven by sexual arousal.

   Seeing Leslie fills me with a passionate lust.

2. archaiccountableuncountableA general want or longing, not necessarily sexual.

   The boarders hide their lust to go home.

   2 more examples

   For little luſt had ſhe to talke of ought, […]

   1596, Edmund Spenser, “Book V, Canto VI”, in The Faerie Queene. […], part II (books IV–VI), London: […] [Richard Field] for William Ponsonby, →OCLC, stanza 21, page 262

   [T]he vvorld thruſts it ſelfe betvvixt me and heauen; and, by his darke and indigeſted parts, eclipſeth that light vvhich ſhined to my ſoule. Novv, a ſenſeleſſe dulneſſe ouer-takes mee, and beſots mee; my luſt to deuotion is little, my ioy none at all: Gods face is hid, and I am troubled.

   1608, Joseph Hall, “Epistle I. To Sʳ. Robert Darcy. The Estate of a True, but Weake Christian.”, in Epistles […], volume I, London: […] H[umphrey] L[ownes] for Samuel Macham & E[leazar] Edgar […], →OCLC, 2nd decade, page 108

3. archaiccountableuncountableA delightful cause of joy, pleasure.

   An ideal son is his father's lasting lust.

   1 more example

   Pompe, pryde, honour, ryches, and wordly lust, / Parrot sayth playnly, shall tourne all to dust.

   1521, John Skelton, Speke Parott; republished in John Scattergood, editor, John Skelton: The Complete English Poems, 1983, →OCLC

4. countableobsoleteuncountableVirility; vigour; active power.

   It is reported, that Trees will grow greater, and beare better Fruit, if you put Salt, or Lees of Wine, or Bloud to the Root. The Cauſe may be the Encreaſing the Luſt or Spirit of the Root; […]

   1627 (indicated as 1626), Francis [Bacon], “V. Century.”, in Sylua Syluarum: Or A Naturall Historie. In Ten Centuries. […], London: […] William Rawley […]; [p]rinted by J[ohn] H[aviland] for William Lee […], →OCLC, paragraph 457, page 119

   Synonyms: lustihood, potency, vigour, virility

present singular third person lusts · participle present lusting · participle past lusted · past lusted · first person past singular lusted · archaic present second person singular lustest · past second person singular lusted · archaic past second person singular lustedst · present singular third person lusts · archaic present singular third person lusteth · past singular third person lusted · past plural lusted · past subjunctive lusted · participle present lusting · participle past lusted

1. intransitiveusually in the phrase lust afterTo look at or watch with a strong desire, especially of a sexual nature.

   He then thought that all the sins which he had ever committed were personified, and that they all cried out against him. One cried out, I am thy lust, with which thou formerly lustedst unlawfully, and against the precepts of God: […]

   1845, Samuel Fox, “Anglo[-]Saxon Monks. Theodore. A Monastic Vision. […]”, in Monks and Monasteries; Being an Account of English Monarchism (The Englishman’s Library; XXVIII), London: James Burns, […], page 36

   1 more example

   Quoth she, “What offence have I committed?” and quoth he, “What offence can be greater than this? Thou sentest after yonder youth and broughtest him hither, on account of the lust of thy heart, so thou mightest do with him that for which thou lustedst.” Said she, “I know not carnal desire. Verily, among thy pages are those who are comelier and seemlier than he; yet have I never desired one of them.”

   1886, Richard F[rancis] Burton, transl. and editor, “The Story of King Sulayman Shah and his Niece”, in Supplemental Nights to the Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night […], Shammar edition, volume I, [London]: […] Burton Club […], →OCLC, page 149

2. archaicintransitivetransitiveusuallyfor; to; formerly also reflexive; for; to; formerly also reflexiveTo desire.

   Wherof he that luſte to ſee examples, let hym ſearch theyꝛ lyues. […] If we be an hungred, we luſte foꝛ bꝛeade.

   1563, The Seconde Tome of Homilies, […], folios 227, verso and 247, verso

   5 more examples

   And I ſaye vnto you that helias ys come alredy / and they knewe hym nott: butt have done vnto him whatſoever they luſted.

   1526, [William Tyndale, transl.], The Newe Testamẽt […] (Tyndale Bible), [Worms, Germany: Peter Schöffer], →OCLC, Matthew xvij:[12], folio xxiiij, recto

   [I]t were more conſonant with reaſon, that a man were ſuffered to take to his Proctor ſuch as he luſteth, and may beſt truſt unto of his matier, than be driven to commit the order of his cauſe, being mefortune of great weight, to ſuch a one as he never knew, ne ſaw before. For whan a man is at his choiſe to chooſe him what Proctor he luſt beſt, if his matier do delay through the default of his Proctor, than, he can blame no body but himſelf.

   1529, Thomas Cranmer, “Num. XVIII. Archbishop Cranmers order concerning the Proctors of the Court of Arches, shewn to be inconvenient, by a Paper presented to the Parlament, as followeth.”, in John Strype, editor, Memorials of the Most Reverend Father in God, Thomas Cranmer, Sometime Lord Archbishop of Canterbury. […], London: […] Richard Chiswell, […], published 1694, appendix, page 36

   I Luſt I haue an appetyte to a thyng / Iappette. prime cõiu. [first conjugation] There is no lyuyng creature that can haue all thynge he luſteth foꝛ: […] I Luſte oꝛ longe foꝛ a thyng as a woman wͭ chylde dothe / […]

   1530 July 28 (Gregorian calendar), Iohan Palsgraue [i.e., John Palsgrave], “The table of Verbes”, in Lesclarcissement de la langue francoyse⸝ […], [London]: […] [Richard Pynson] fynnysshed by Iohan Haukyns, →OCLC, 3rd boke, folio cclxxxvi, recto, column 1; reprinted Geneva: Slatkine Reprints, October 1972, →OCLC

   It auaileth not, to ſée them well taught in yong yeares, and after whã they cum to luſt and youthfull dayes, to giue them licence to liue as they luſt them ſelues.

   a. 1569 (date written), Roger Ascham, “The First Booke for the Youth [Teachyng the Brynging vp of Youth]”, in Margaret Ascham, editor, The Scholemaster: Or Plaine and Perfite Way of Teaching Children, to Vnderstand, Write, and Speake, the Latin Tong, […], London: […] John Daye, […], published 1570, →OCLC, folio 13, recto

   We paſſed from children and came to yonge men, namely, Ientlemen: we taulked of their to moch libertie, to liue as they luſt: […]

   1570, Margaret Ascham, “A Præface to the Reader”, in Roger Ascham, edited by Margaret Ascham, The Scholemaster: Or Plaine and Perfite Way of Teaching Children, to Vnderstand, Write, and Speake, the Latin Tong, […], London: […] John Daye, […], →OCLC, signature B.ij., verso