Contextualizebeta

beau

noun
/ˈbəʊ̯/UK/ˈboʊ̯/US/bəʊ/UK/boʊ/US

Etymology

From Middle English beau, beu, bew, bewe, from Old French beau, from Latin bellus (“beautiful”). Doublet of bello and boo.

  1. derived from beau
  2. derived from beau

Definitions

  1. A man with a reputation for fine dress and etiquette

    A man with a reputation for fine dress and etiquette; a dandy or fop.

    • [H]e could not but turn with ineffable contempt to the tawdry beaus and belles from the city, who presumed to mingle in the fashionable gala.

  2. A male lover

    A male lover; a boyfriend.

    • Hannah's beau takes all her time 'n' thought, and when she gits a husband her mother'll be out o' sight and out o' mind.
    • Kristin Davis has taken time out to enjoy the surf and sand with her Australian beau, photographer Russell James.

  3. A male escort.

  4. ›+ 3 more definitions

    1. A suitor of a lady.

    2. To act as a beau (towards)

      To act as a beau (towards); to court or woo.

      • “[…] And now to think that Laura’s teaching school, and Almanzo Wilder’s beauing her home.” ”Oh, no! He isn’t!” Laura cried out. “It isn’t like that at all. He came for me as a favor to Pa.”
      • Everyone was feeling grandacious, as if getting dressed for a night of beauing.

    3. A male given name used since mid-twentieth century.

The neighborhood

Derived

beau-catcher, beauish, beauism, beauless, beauship, beautillion, unbeaued

Vish — recursive loop

No curated loop yet for beau. Loops are being traced one word at a time while the ingestion pipeline matures.

sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA