beau
beau Lexical Profile
beau Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A boyfriend or male admirer.
"She arrived at the charity gala accompanied by her new beau."
A rich, fashionable young man who is overly concerned with his clothes and personal appearance; a dandy.
"In eighteenth-century London, the young beau spent hours each morning having his wig powdered and his waistcoat tailored."
Word Nuance & Usage
The word 'beau' takes both the regular English plural 'beaus' and the French-derived plural 'beaux' (both pronounced /boʊz/). Do not confuse it with its homophone 'bow' (/boʊ/, a ribbon knot or weapon), or with 'belle', its feminine counterpart.
• Rhymes for beau
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in the late 17th century from French 'beau' ('handsome, fine'), used as a noun to mean a handsome man or suitor, ultimately from Latin 'bellus' ('pretty, handsome, charming').