n. [ F. balustre, It. balaustro, fr. L. balaustium the flower of the wild pomegranate, fr. Gr. balay`stion; -- so named from the similarity of form. ] (Arch.) A small column or pilaster, used as a support to the rail of an open parapet, to guard the side of a staircase, or the front of a gallery. See Balustrade. [ Corrupted into banister. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Having balusters. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. [ imp. & p. p. Blustered p. pr. & vb. n. Blustering. ] [ Allied to blast. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. To blow fitfully with violence and noise, as wind; to be windy and boisterous, as the weather. [ 1913 Webster ]

And ever-threatening storms
Of Chaos blustering round. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To talk with noisy violence; to swagger, as a turbulent or boasting person; to act in a noisy, tumultuous way; to play the bully; to storm; to rage. [ 1913 Webster ]

Your ministerial directors blustered like tragic tyrants. Burke. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To utter, or do, with noisy violence; to force by blustering; to bully. [ 1913 Webster ]

He bloweth and blustereth out . . . his abominable blasphemy. Sir T. More. [ 1913 Webster ]

As if therewith he meant to bluster all princes into a perfect obedience to his commands. Fuller. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. Fitful noise and violence, as of a storm; violent winds; boisterousness. [ 1913 Webster ]

To the winds they set
Their corners, when with bluster to confound
Sea, air, and shore. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Noisy and violent or threatening talk; noisy and boastful language. L'Estrange. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- Noise; boisterousness; tumult; turbulence; confusion; boasting; swaggering; bullying. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who, or that which, blusters; a noisy swaggerer. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. 1. Exhibiting noisy violence, as the wind; stormy; tumultuous. [ 1913 Webster ]

A tempest and a blustering day. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Uttering noisy threats; noisy and swaggering; boisterous. “A blustering fellow.” L'Estrange. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In a blustering manner. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Inclined to bluster; given to blustering; blustering. Motley. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To collect into a cluster or clusters; to gather into a bunch or close body. [ 1913 Webster ]

Not less the bee would range her cells, . . .
The foxglove cluster dappled bells. Tennyson. [ 1913 Webster ]

Or from the forest falls the clustered snow. Thomson. [ 1913 Webster ]

Clustered column (Arch.), a column which is composed, or appears to be composed, of several columns collected together. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ AS. cluster, clyster; cf. LG. kluster (also Sw. & Dan. klase a cluster of grapes, D. klissen to be entangled?.) ] 1. A number of things of the same kind growing together; a bunch. [ 1913 Webster ]

Her deeds were like great clusters of ripe grapes,
Which load the bunches of the fruitful vine. Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A number of similar things collected together or lying contiguous; a group; as, a cluster of islands. “Cluster of provinces.” Motley. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. A number of individuals grouped together or collected in one place; a crowd; a mob. [ 1913 Webster ]

As bees . . .
Pour forth their populous youth about the hive
In clusters. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

We loved him; but, like beasts
And cowardly nobles, gave way unto your clusters,
Who did hoot him out o' the city. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. [ imp. & p. p. Clustered p. pr. & vb. n. Clustering. ] To grow in clusters or assemble in groups; to gather or unite in a cluster or clusters. [ 1913 Webster ]

His sunny hair
Cluster'd about his temples, like a god's. Tennyson. [ 1913 Webster ]

The princes of the country clustering together. Foxe. [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. 1. growing close together but not in dense mats; -- of plants. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

2. occurring close together in bunches or clusters.
Syn. -- bunched, bunchy. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

3. clustered together but not coherent.
Syn. -- agglomerate, agglomerated, agglomerative, aggregate. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

adv. In clusters. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ From Cluster, n. ] Growing in, or full of, clusters; like clusters. Johnson. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Flustered; p. pr. & vb. n. Flustering. ] [ Cf. Icel. flaustra to be flustered, flaustr a fluster. ] To make hot and rosy, as with drinking; to heat; hence, to throw into agitation and confusion; to confuse; to muddle. [ 1913 Webster ]

His habit or flustering himself daily with claret. Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. To be in a heat or bustle; to be agitated and confused. [ 1913 Webster ]

The flstering, vainglorious Greeks. South. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Heat or glow, as from drinking; agitation mingled with confusion; disorder. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The act of flustering, or the state of being flustered; fluster. [ Colloq. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } a. 1. Wanting luster or brightness. “Lackluster eye.” Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Lacking spirit, liveliness, or enthusiasm; dull. [ PJC ]

3. Mediocre; as, a lackluster performance. [ PJC ]

{ } n. A lack of luster. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who lusts. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. The act or process of imparting a luster, as to pottery. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The brightening of a metal in the crucible when it becomes pure, as in certain refining processes. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. lustrum: cf. F. lustre. ] A period of five years; a lustrum. [ 1913 Webster ]

Both of us have closed the tenth luster. Bolingbroke. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } n. [ F. lustre; cf. It. lustro; both fr. L. lustrare to purify, go about (like the priests at the lustral sacrifice), traverse, survey, illuminate, fr. lustrum a purificatory sacrifice; perh. akin to E. loose. But lustrare to illuminate is perhaps a different word, and akin to L. lucere to be light or clear, to shine. See Lucid, and cf. Illustrious, Lustrum. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. Brilliancy; splendor; brightness; glitter. [ 1913 Webster ]

The right mark and very true luster of the diamond. Sir T. More. [ 1913 Webster ]

The scorching sun was mounted high,
In all its luster, to the noonday sky. Addison. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ There is a tendency to limit the use of luster, in this sense, to the brightness of things which do not shine with their own light, or at least do not blaze or glow with heat. One speaks of the luster of a diamond, or of silk, or even of the stars, but not often now of the luster of the sun, a coal of fire, or the like. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Renown; splendor; distinction; glory. [ 1913 Webster ]

His ancestors continued about four hundred years, rather without obscurity than with any great luster. Sir H. Wotton. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. A candlestick, chandelier, girandole, or the like, generally of an ornamental character. Pope. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. (Min.) The appearance of the surface of a mineral as affected by, or dependent upon, peculiarities of its reflecting qualities. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ The principal kinds of luster recognized are: metallic, adamantine, vitreous, resinous, greasy, pearly, and silky. With respect to intensity, luster is characterized as splendent, shining, glistening, glimmering, and dull. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. A substance which imparts luster to a surface, as graphite and some of the glazes. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. A fabric of wool and cotton with a lustrous surface, -- used for women's dresses. [ 1913 Webster ]

Luster ware, earthenware decorated by applying to the glazing metallic oxides, which acquire brilliancy in the process of baking. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Lustred p. pr. & vb. n. Lustering, or Lustring. ] To make lustrous. [ R. & Poetic ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Flooded and lustered with her loosened gold. Lowell. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } a. Destitute of luster; dim; dull. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } v. t. To excel in brightness or luster. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]