beauty

plural beauties

1. uncountableThe quality of being (especially visually) attractive, pleasing, fine or good-looking; comeliness.

   “Beauty is truth, truth beauty,”—that is all / Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know.

   1819 May, John Keats, “Ode on a Grecian Urn”, in Lamia, Isabella, the Eve of St. Agnes, and Other Poems, London: […] [Thomas Davison] for Taylor and Hessey, […], published 1820, →OCLC, page 116

   5 more examples

   A thing of beauty is a joy for ever: / Its loveliness increases; it will never / Pass into nothingness; but still will keep / A bower quiet for us, and a sleep / Full of sweet dreams, and health, and quiet breathing.

   1818, John Keats, “Book I”, in Endymion: A Poetic Romance, London: […] T[homas] Miller, […] for Taylor and Hessey, […], →OCLC, page 3, lines 1–5

   ‘Say, hast thou seen enough!’ ‘I have looked on beauty, and I am blinded,’ I said hoarsely, lifting my hand to cover up my eyes.

   1886 October – 1887 January, H[enry] Rider Haggard, She: A History of Adventure, London: Longmans, Green, and Co., published 1887, →OCLC

   Warwick's first glance had revealed the fact that the young woman was strikingly handsome, with a stately beauty seldom encountered.

   1900, Charles W[addell] Chesnutt, chapter I, in The House Behind the Cedars, Boston, Mass.; New York, N.Y.: Houghton, Mifflin and Company […], →OCLC

   "The aviators didn't get him," Denham replied slowly. "What?" "It was Beauty. As always Beauty killed the Beast."

   1932, Delos W. Lovelace, King Kong, published 1965, page 152

   Much as one appreciates the beauty of these woodlands, it was good to learn that some discreet tree-felling may open up the view still further.

   1958 July 28, R. K. Kirkland, “Into the Mountains on the Festiniog Railway”, in Railway Magazine, page 453

   Synonyms: good-lookingness

2. countableuncountableSomeone who is beautiful.

   Brigitte Bardot was a renowned beauty.

   1 more example

   The website calls a vote for Alyona a vote against "beauties who do not look natural and who cannot be distinguished from each other" and rails against the "imposed standards" of 90-60-90 vital statistics, and "cigarettes with out nicotine and coffee without caffeine".

   2004 April 13, Nick Paton Walsh, “Ample Alyona shakes up Russian pageant”, in The Guardian

   Synonyms: belle

3. countablein pluraluncountableThose aspects or elements that make someone or something beautiful.

   There the roſy-finger'd Spring, by the liquid mirror of a cryſtalline pool, was attiring her fair daughters in ſeven-fold ornaments, while the love-whiſpering breezes ſtole kiſſes as they paſſed, and fanned their glowing beauties.

   1769, Firishta, translated by Alexander Dow, Tales translated from the Persian of Inatulla of Delhi, volume I, Dublin: P. and W. Wilson et al., page iii

   1 more example

   Another Fairy, Argea, entertains (c. xxxiii.) a king, queen, knight and ladies, in a stately palace. At night they retire to magnificent chambers, and in the morning they find themselves lying in a mead, some under trees, others on the sides of a stream, with more of the beauties of the ladies displayed than they could have desired.

   1850, Thomas Keightley, The Fairy Mythology, London: H.G. Bohn, page 541

4. countableuncountableSomething that is particularly good or pleasing.

   What a goal! That was a real beauty!

5. countableuncountableAn excellent or egregious example of something.

   He got into a fight and ended up with two black eyes – two real beauties!

6. countableuncountableThe excellence or genius of a scheme or decision.

   The beauty of the deal is it costs nothing!

7. countableobsoleteparticleuncountablenatural sciencesA beauty quark (now called bottom quark).
8. countableuncountableBeauty treatment; cosmetology.

   a hair and beauty salon

   1 more example

   When the beauty team departs the set, the AD will say, “Let’s go on a bell.” A bell sounds throughout the stage, and […]

   2013, Bethany Rooney, Mary Lou Belli, Directors Tell the Story, page 184

9. countableobsoleteuncountablePrevailing style or taste; rage; fashion.

   Menander in the comedy brings in a man turning his wife from his house, because she stained her hair yellow, which was then the beauty.

   1653, “Twenty-five Sermons Preached at Golden Grove; Being for the Winter Half-year, […]: Sermon XVIII. [The Marriage Ring; or, The Mysteriousness and Duties of Marriage.] Part II.”, in Reginald Heber, editor, The Whole Works of the Right Rev. Jeremy Taylor, D.D. […], volume V, London: Ogle, Duncan, and Co. […]; and Richard Priestley, […], published 1822, →OCLC, page 277

10. archaiccountablein pluraluncountableBeautiful passages or extracts of poetry.

1. CanadaThanks!
2. CanadaCool!

   It's the long weekend. Beauty!

comparative more beauty · superlative most beauty · archaic poetic superlative beautiest

1. archaicpoeticPossessing beauty; beautiful.
2. CanadaOf high quality, well done.

   He made a beauty pass through the neutral zone.

present singular third person beauties · participle present beautying · participle past beautied · past beautied

1. obsoletetransitiveTo make beautiful.