beau en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- [ˈbəʊ̯] (Received-Pronunciation)
- [ˈbɔʊ̯] (General-American)
- [ˈboʊ̯] (General-American)
- /ˈbɵʊ̯/ (Received-Pronunciation)
- /ˈbɔʊ̯/ (General-American)
- [ˈbɵ̞ʊ̯] (Received-Pronunciation)
- /ˈboʊ̯/ (General-American)
- (UK) audio
- /ˈbəʊ̯/ (Received-Pronunciation)
Etymology
From Middle English beau, beu, bew, bewe, from Old French beau, from Latin bellus (“beautiful”). Doublet of bello and boo.
Meanings
-
(dated) A man with a reputation for fine dress and etiquette; a dandy or fop.
“[…]—I suppose your brother was quite a beau, Miss Dashwood, before he married, as he was so rich?” “Upon my word,” replied Elinor, “I cannot tell you, for I do not perfectly comprehend the meaning of the word. But this I can say, that if he ever was a beau before he married, he is one still, for there is not the smallest alteration in him.” “Oh! dear! one never thinks of married men’s being beaux—they have something else to do.”
1811, [Jane Austen], chapter XXI, in Sense and Sensibility […], volume I, London: […] C[harles] Roworth, […], and published by T[homas] Egerton, […], →OCLC, page 290:[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.
1824, Cut and Come again [pseudonym], “On Cutting”, in Tobias Merton [pseudonym; Samuel Egerton Brydges and Egerton Anthony Brydges], editor, The Literary Magnet of the Belles Lettres, Science, and the Fine Arts: […], volume II, London: William Charlton Wright, […], page 19:
-
(Canada, US, dated) A male lover; a boyfriend.
“I don’t see how. But anyhow, you’ll be rich some day—your Aunt Elizabeth will likely leave you all her money, Mother says. So I don’t care if you are living on charity—I love you and I’m going to stick up for you. Have you got a beau, Emily?” “No,” cried Emily, blushing violently and quite scandalized at the idea. “Why, I’m only eleven.”
1923, Lucy Maud Montgomery, “Chapter 8”, in Emily of New Moon:Kristin Davis has taken time out to enjoy the surf and sand with her Australian beau, photographer Russell James.
2009 December 10, Philippa Bourke, Monsters and Critics: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.
1917, Kate Douglas Wiggin, Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm, page 142:Reporters ask her about her love life—her current beau is rumored to be Conor Kennedy, a grandson of Robert F. Kennedy—even if they get nowhere.
2012 October 24, Jon Caramanica, “No More Kid Stuff for Taylor Swift”, in The New York Times, →ISSN:
- A male escort.
- A suitor of a lady.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| beaus | Number=Plur | lexicographic | |
| beaux | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Coordinates
Deriveds
beau-catcher · beauless · beauism · beautillion · beauish · beauship · unbeaued
Relateds
beau monde · beau-ideal · beau joueur · beau ideal · beau idéal · beau geste · beau sabreur · beau monde seasoning
Synonyms
public woman · abandons · pug · chromo · escort · comfort woman · gill · pro skirt · pross · party boy · thot · frail sister · cocotte · hook · beau · wench · sex worker · barbermonger · mob · mutton · prostitute · prostitutor · Bankside lady · put · blowen · blouze · smart · dike · slut · woman of the street · wapping moll · tawaif · pavement princess · calico queen · lady of the game · truelove · woman of ill repute · meat puppet · slag · Fulham virgin · dollymop · harlot · prossy · broad · fast man · stem siren · coaster · ribibe · wapping dell · gallant · karayuki-san · popinjay · dandy · exquisite · fille de joie · pucelle · prostie · gamester · leman · bat · petit maître · fashionable · toff · tweak · dood · trug · Jemmy-Jessamy · croshabell · sparker · laced mutton · woman of the town · blood · nymph of the pavement · dudelet · hoer · stew · doxy · mot · lady of pleasure · moll · perdita · foretop · gay lady · sodomitess · beloved · nymph of the pavé · puta · pretty boy · love · blood · jay · prig · skivvy · fop · fine gentleman · blade · treddle · quene · thotty · soiled dove · strumpet · lightskirt · loose woman · Japayuki-san · sex labourer · girl of the game · wooer · dude · lady of the evening · pro · tippy · scrubber · courter · puella publica · callboy · courter · painted lady · brass · alley cat · party girl · paramour · fribble · suitor · fornicatrix · tib · prozzy · wooer · darling · whore · trull · almah · bangtail · comfort girl · cockscomb · brass nail · crush · cockatrice · follower · popinjay · hackney · succubus · adorer · brasser · priestess of Venus · woman of easy virtue · gillian · tom · vice girl · love interest · quean · beotch · chippy · mignon · mud-kicker · geebag · hooker · floozie · lady of light virtue · prosty · prossie · mudkicker · minx · nun · blowsabella · commoner · pretty horsebreaker · working girl · trollop · enamorado · sweetheart · hireling · street taco · pimpette · Haymarket ware · 'ho · pussygirl · musk cat · Paphian · mermaid · Covent Garden nun · girl rented overnight · mud kicker · slapper · jack-a-dandy · sparker · puss-gentleman · jetter · masher · lady of leisure · creature of the night · spark · daughter of joy · baby · metrosexual · flap · lady of the night · hustler · punk · drab · loteby · flame · quail · bargirl · macaroni · swell · GRO · swain · slit · hoe · wapping mort · skainsmate · callet · woman of the night · buck · nymph of darkness · woman of ill fame · Dutch widow · mort wap-apace · prozzie · cat · lover · tart · trick turner · admirer · spiff · go · good-time girl · quiff · wanton · carpet knight · business girl
Translations (15)
cs švihák (dandy) · la formaster (dandy) · fi hienostelija (dandy) · ota هوپپا (dandy) · pl dandys (dandy) · ru щёголь (dandy) · ga gaige (dandy) · bg франт (dandy) · de Beau (dandy) · bg конте (dandy) · fi keikari (dandy) · ru франт (dandy) · hu piperkőc (dandy) · mk ко́нте (dandy) · ru де́нди (dandy)