Lustrum
/ˈlʌs.trəm/noun
A five-year period, especially in historical or formal use.
Did you know?In ancient Rome, a lustrum was originally the ceremonial purification of the people after the census, so the word for a five-year cycle was born from ritual cleansing.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*leu-
“to wash, cleanse, or purify”
Latin
Latin
lustrāre
“to purify by sacrifice or ritual; to make a ceremonial circuit around”
Latin
Latin
lustrum
“a purification ceremony performed after the census, originally every five years”
Late Latin / Medieval Latin
Latin
lustrum
“a five-year period”
Modern English
English
lustrum
“a period of five years”
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