lust

noun

1. (countable, uncountable)A feeling of strong desire, especially such a feeling driven by sexual arousal.

   “Seeing Leslie fills me with a passionate lust.”

2. (archaic, countable, uncountable)A general want or longing, not necessarily sexual.

   “The boarders hide their lust to go home.”

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

   “[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.”

3. (archaic, countable, uncountable)A delightful cause of joy, pleasure.

   “An ideal son is his father's lasting lust.”

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

4. (countable, obsolete, uncountable)Virility; 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; […]”

verb

1. (intransitive)To 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: […]”

   “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.””

2. (archaic, intransitive, transitive, usually)To desire.

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

   “[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.”

   “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 / […]”

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

   “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.”