buxom

buxom
\ \ [12] Originally, buxom meant ‘obedient’.
\ \ It goes back to an unrecorded *būhsum, which meant literally ‘capable of being bent’, and was formed from the verb būganbend’, from which modern English gets bow. The sequence by which the word’s present-day sense developed seems to have been ‘compliant, obliging’, ‘lively, jolly’, ‘healthily plump and vigorous’, and finally (of a woman) ‘large-breasted’.
\ \ Cf.BOW

Word origins - 2ed. . 2005.

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  • Buxom — Bux om, a. [OE. buxum, boxom, buhsum, pliable, obedient, AS. b[=o]csum, b[=u]hsum (akin to D. buigzaam blexible, G. biegsam); b[=u]gan to bow, bend + sum, E. some. See {Bow} to bend, and { some}.] 1. Yielding; pliable or compliant; ready to obey; …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • buxom — late 12c., buhsum humble, obedient, from *buh stem of O.E. bugen to bow + som, for a total meaning capable of being bent. Meaning progressed from compliant, obliging, through lively, jolly, healthily plump, vigorous, to (in women, and perhaps… …   Etymology dictionary

  • buxom — [adj] bosomy ample, built, busty, chubby, comely, curvaceous, curvy, fullbosomed, full figured, healthy, hearty, lusty, plump, robust, shapely, stacked*, voluptuous, well made, well proportioned, well rounded, zaftig*; concept 406 Ant. flat,… …   New thesaurus

  • buxom — ► ADJECTIVE ▪ (of a woman) attractively plump and large breasted. ORIGIN originally in the sense «compliant», later «lively and good tempered»: from Old English, «to bend» …   English terms dictionary

  • buxom — [buk′səm] adj. [ME, humble, obedient < base of bouen,BOW1 + som, SOME1] 1. Obs. a) obedient b) flexible; pliant 2. Archaic healthy, comely, plump, jolly, etc …   English World dictionary

  • buxom — adjective /ˈbʌksəm/ a) Having a full, voluptuous figure, especially possessing large breasts. DIED. Robert Brooks, 69, canny businessman who, as chairman of Hooters, turned the bar restaurant chain, famed for buxom waitresses in orange hot pants …   Wiktionary

  • buxom — bux|om [ˈbʌksəm] adj [Date: 1500 1600; Origin: buxom willing to obey, friendly (11 17 centuries), from Old English buhsum, from bugan to bend ] a woman who is buxom is attractively large and healthy and has big breasts …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • buxom — [[t]bʌ̱ksəm[/t]] ADJ GRADED: usu ADJ n If you describe a woman as buxom, you mean that she looks healthy and attractive and has a rounded body and big breasts. Melissa was a tall, buxom blonde …   English dictionary

  • buxom — adjective Etymology: Middle English buxsum, from Old English *būhsum; akin to Old English būgan to bend more at bow Date: 12th century 1. obsolete a. obedient, tractable b. offering little …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • buxom — bux|om [ bʌksəm ] adjective a buxom woman is slightly fat in an attractive way, with large breasts …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • buxom — [12] Originally, buxom meant ‘obedient’. It goes back to an unrecorded *būhsum, which meant literally ‘capable of being bent’, and was formed from the verb būgan ‘bend’, from which modern English gets bow. The sequence by which the word’s present …   The Hutchinson dictionary of word origins

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