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• lucerne
  lucerne

  noun

  alfalfa.
• Lucerne
  Lucerne

  noun

  a canton in central Switzerland. 576 sq. mi. (1,490 sq. km).

lucerne

¹ American  

[loo-surn] / luˈsɜrn /

Or lucern

noun

1. alfalfa.

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Lucerne ² American  

[loo-surn, ly-sern] / luˈsɜrn, lüˈsɛrn /

noun

1. a canton in central Switzerland. 576 sq. mi. (1,490 sq. km).

2. the capital of this canton, on Lake of Lucerne.

3. Also called Lake of the Four Forest Cantons.  Lake of. a lake in central Switzerland. 24 miles (39 km) long; 44 sq. mi. (114 sq. km).

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Lucerne ¹ British  

/ luːˈsɜːn, lysɛrn /

noun

1. a canton in central Switzerland, northwest of Lake Lucerne: joined the Swiss Confederacy in 1332. Pop: 352 300 (2002 est). Area: 1494 sq km (577 sq miles)

2. a city in central Switzerland, capital of Lucerne canton, on Lake Lucerne: tourist centre. Pop: 59 496 (2000)

3. German name: Vierwaldstättersee.  a lake in central Switzerland: fed and drained chiefly by the River Reuss. Area: 115 sq km (44 sq miles)

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lucerne ² British  

/ luːˈsɜːn /

noun

1. another name for alfalfa

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Etymology

Origin of lucerne

1620–30; alteration (by association with Latin lucerna lamp) of French luzerne < Provençal luzerno glowworm (the plant was so called in allusion to its bright seeds); akin to Old Provençal luzerna lamp < Vulgar Latin *lūcerna, for Latin lucerna. See lucid

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

lucerne Lucerne

While the conservancy and its partners figured out what to do, rangers ferried lucerne pellets and other food to the island to help keep the giraffes alive.

From Salon ● Apr. 9, 2025

We sat down as one big happy family for our first course: a salad of lucerne, clover, hazelnuts, yarrow and fried bread cubes.

From Washington Post ● Jul. 25, 2019

We hopped out, baskets in hand, to collect yarrow and lucerne, which tastes like peas.

From Washington Post ● Jul. 25, 2019

A worker throws lucerne, also known as alfalfa, to white rhinos on Hume’s farm.

From National Geographic ● Jan. 22, 2016

She dropped the lucerne again, but she didn’t drop the knife she had used to cut it.

From "A Girl Named Disaster" by Nancy Farmer

Haggling in Switzerland’s Bürgenstock Resort Lake Lucerne over the memorandum of understanding between the U.S. and Iran has dominated headlines, but the real news this month is coming out of China.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 22, 2026

Most regular guests arrive by the lengthy winding mountain road, or by catamaran from Lucerne followed by a funicular railway, 929 metres long and rising 434 metres.

From Barron's ● Jun. 16, 2026

Even the Catholic Church has experimented with AI Jesus, with a Swiss church in Lucerne experimenting with a Jesus-like chatbot that was set up to speak with churchgoers in a confessional-style setting.

From Salon ● Dec. 27, 2025

At a Safeway supermarket in Washington, D.C., a dozen Lucerne eggs sold for $3.99, $4.28, $4.59, $4.69 and $4.79 on Instacart, depending on the shopper, the study showed.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 22, 2025

The smell— goodness, it certainly doesn’t smell like the hotel in Lucerne.

From "The Bletchley Riddle" by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin