eyesome

eyesome

English

Etymology

eye +‎ -some

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈaɪ.səm/

Adjective

eyesome (comparative more eyesome, superlative most eyesome)

1. (archaic, often poetic) Visually attractive.
   • 1919, Thomas Hardy, Moments of Vision, "The Background and the Figure (Lover's Ditty),"

     Between the blooms where the sod basked bright,

     By the bobbing fuchsia trees,

     Was another and yet more eyesome sight—

     The sight that richened these.

   • 2004, David W. Dunlap, "The Crossroads of the Crossroads," New York Times, 13 Jun., p. CY3,

     Get a load of the "eyesome femininity" at the International Casino, as the Times put it.

References

• Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., 1989.
• Random House Webster's Unabridged Electronic Dictionary, 1987-1996.