lut

Lut is a term with several distinct meanings across religion, geography, technology, and onomastics. In Islamic tradition, Lut (Arabic: لوط) is the Prophet Lot, a figure mentioned in the Qur’an and in Islamic literature as the nephew of Ibrahim (Abraham). He is regarded as a messenger to the people of Sodom and Gomorrah, and his narrative centers on calls to virtue, hospitality, and rejection of sexual immorality and violence. The story mirrors the biblical account of Lot and is often cited in discussions of divine punishment and mercy.

Dasht-e Lut, commonly rendered Lut Desert, is a large salt desert in southeastern Iran, spanning parts of Kerman and Sistan and Baluchestan provinces. The desert is known for extreme temperatures and a landscape of salt crusts and chalk formations, with features such as salt plains and wind-sculpted yardangs. It is one of the world’s most arid regions and has significance for climatology and geology.

In technology, LUT stands for Look-Up Table, a data structure used to map input values to output values. Look-Up Tables are widely used in image processing, color grading, and digital video to apply transforms such as gamma correction, color space conversion, or stylized color grading. LUTs can be implemented in one-dimensional or three-dimensional forms and vary in precision.

Lut may also be encountered as a given name or surname in various cultures, and it appears in literature and place names. The meaning and pronunciation vary by language.