Also 6 leur, 6–7 lewre, 7 lewer. [f. LURE sb.2; cf. F. leurrer (OF. loirrer).]
1. trans. To recall (a hawk) by casting the lure; to call (a hawk) to the lure.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Wife’s Prol., 415. With empty hand men may none haukes lure.
1562. J. Heywood, Prov. & Epigr. (1867), 215. Lewre falcones when ye list.
1601. Sir W. Cornwallis, Ess., II. xxxv. (1631), 88. A Faulkoner would not have lured it.
1611. Markham, Country Content., I. v. (1668), 30. Short winged Hawks are said to be called, not lured.
1828. Sir J. S. Sebright, Hawking, 17. The falconer … should always halloo when he is luring.
2. intr. To call to a hawk while casting the lure.
1530. Palsgr., 616/1. I lure, as a falconer dothe for his haulke.
1575. Turberv., Faulconrie, 147. Take the lewre … and cast it about your heade crying and leuring aloud.
1688. R. Holme, Armoury, II. 239/2. Lure, or Lewer, or Lewre, is to call the Hawk to Lure.
† b. To call loudly. Obs.
1601. Holland, Pliny, I. 239. This boy lured for him & called Simo.
1607. Topsell, Four-f. Beasts (1658), 543. He standeth lewring and making a terrible noise to affright the Swine.
1626. Bacon, Sylva, § 250. If you stand between a House, and a Hill, and lure towards the Hill.
1626. Jests Scogin (Hazl.), 65. At last Scogin did lewer and whoop to him [his horse].
† c. To call at contemptuously. Obs.
1693. J. H., in Dryden’s Juvenal, X. 5. He’s mocked and lur’d at by the giddy Crowd.
† 3. trans. To train (a hawk) to come to the lure.
1486. Bk. St. Albans, D iv. Theys be hawkes of the towre: and ben both Ilurid to be calde and reclaymed.
1530. Palsgr., 616/1. Lure your haulke betyme I wolde advyse you.
1575. Turberv., Faulconrie, 129. When you woulde lure him, giue him unto some other man to holde and call him with a lure well garnished with meate.
4. To allure, entice, tempt.
1393. Langl., P. Pl., C. VIII. 44. Ich am nat lured with loue, bote ouht lygge vnder þombe.
c. 1412. Hoccleve, De Reg. Princ., 3069. Only þe richesse þer-to hem lurith.
1447. Bokenham, Seyntys (Roxb.), 14. Hyr bewte sosore dede lure Hys herte.
a. 1547. Surrey, in Tottel’s Misc. (Arb.), 219. But that your will is such to lure me to the trade As other some full many yeres to trace by craft ye made.
1667. Milton, P. L., II. 664. In secret, riding through the Air she comes, Lur’d with the smell of infant blood.
1688. Crowne, Darius, II. Dram. Wks. 1874, III. 406. Nay, Sir, but for a while, till he has lur’d Gods, and revolting nations to your aid.
a. 1763. Shenstone, Elegies, xxvi. 27. Expense, and art, and toil, united strove; To lure a breast that felt the purest flame.
1825. J. Neal, Bro. Jonathan, III. 407. His dog had gone off it appeared; having been lured away.
a. 1839. Praed, Poems (1864), I. 119. But go and lure the midnight cloud, Or chain the mist of morning.
1855. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., xx. IV. 511. He had been lured into a snare by treachery.
1900. W. Watt, Aberdeen & Banff, x. 250. By a feint … Montrose lured away a large portion of the defending force.
b. To entice to come down by a call.
1774. Goldsm., Nat. Hist. (1776), VI. 134. The ducks flying in the air are often lured down … by the loud voice of the mallard.
† 5. intr. To set a trap for (another). fig. Obs.
a. 1591. H. Smith, Serm. (1614), 423. Yet Paul lured for Agrippa. Now he sues to the people. When he had caught the king, he spred his net for the people.
