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-ure1

Forming nouns.

Latin ‑ura; French ‑eure and other endings.

Nouns in this ending that derive from Latin broadly denote an action, instrument, process, or result, of which some examples are censure, closure, creature (something that has been created), gesture, lecture, rupture, and scripture (literally, something written).

Some words in this ending derive from French suffixes (such as ‑eure, ‑ir, ‑or, and ‑our) and have taken on the ‑ure ending in English by imitation: enclosure, moisture, pleasure, nurture, treasure. Others derive from Latin words in other endings: ordure.

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