Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “lucre” come from?

Lucre comes from Middle English lūcre, from Latin lucrum meaning profit or gain, from Proto-Indo-European roots related to -tlom, -trom, and -tḗr.

lucre (English): Money, riches, or wealth, especially when seen as...

Definitions

  1. Money, riches, or wealth, especially when seen as...

Ancestry of “lucre”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishlūcre—
2Latinlucrumprofit, advantage; love of gain, avarice
3Proto-Indo-Europeanleh₂w-to seize, gain; benefit, prize
Every word from Proto-Indo-European leh₂w- →