Beau Meaning
/ˈbəʊ̯/Definition, CEFR level C2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounA man with a reputation for fine dress and etiquette; a dandy or fop.
nounA male lover; a boyfriend.
Sentence Examples
He's her beau now.
"Oh, hey look! There's Tom's new beau."
Her loquacious new beau was there, talking everyone's heads off.
CEFR Practice Quiz
At the dance, her ____ brought her a bouquet of red roses.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
She introduced her new ____ to her parents during the dinner party today.
Word Origin & History
From Middle English beau, beu, bew, bewe, from Old French beau, from Latin bellus (“beautiful”). Doublet of bello and boo.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"“[…]—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:
"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:
"“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:
Explore More C2 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
At the dance, her ____ brought her a bouquet of red roses.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
She introduced her new ____ to her parents during the dinner party today.