Forms: ibuhsum, ibucsum, 2–3 buhsum(m, 3 bocsum, -om, 3–8 buxum, 4 boȝsam, boghsom, bousum, -om, (?) busum, boxsom(e, bouxsome, bowxom, buxsom, 4–5 bowsom, boxsum, buxsum, 4–6 bouxom(e, boxom(e, -um, 4–7 bughsom, bowsum, buxome, 5 bouxum, buxhum, 5–6 buxume, buxsome, -home, (?) buscom, 6 bowsome, buxam, buckesom(e, 6–8 bucksome, 7–8 bucksom, (9 bucksome), 4– buxom. [early ME. buhsum, ibucsum (perh.:—OE. *búhsum, *ʓebúhsum), f. stem of búʓan (ʓebúʓan) BOW v.1 + -SOME; cf. MDu. boochsaem, Du. buigzaam, Ger. biegsam flexible, pliant. Branch II seems to have arisen from sense 1 c; the development of sense 3 being precisely the same as in BLITHE, that of 4 as in Fr. joli from ‘blithe’ to ‘comely.’]
I. Easily bowed or bent. 1. Morally.
† a. Obedient; pliant; compliant, tractable (to). Obs. (exc. as a rare archaism.)
c. 1175. Lamb. Hom., 57. Beo buhsum toward gode. Ibid., 75. Beon him ibucsum ouer alle þing.
c. 1200. Ormin, 6176. Þin laferrd birrþ þe buhsumm beon.
c. 1250. Gen. & Ex., 980. An angel … bad hire … to hire leuedi buxum ben.
a. 1340. Hampole, Pr. Consc., 8148. Alle men … Þat meke of hert er here, and bowsom.
c. 1380. Wyclif, Sel. Wks., III. 49. Oure Ladi Marye … was … buxumer to his bidding þan ony hond-mayde.
c. 1440. Generydes, 2505. Thanne came ther in … The buscommest folk.
c. 1450. Lonelich, Grail, lii. 1006. I schal … maken hem buxom to ȝowre hond.
1496. Dives & Paup. (W. de W.), IV. i. 160/1. We ben … to them buxom and meke.
1523. Fitzherb., Surv. (1539), 15. I shall be buxome and obedient to justyces.
1581. J. Bell, Haddon’s Answ. Osor., 287 b. The Consuls should … sweare faythfully to become bonnaire and buxome to the Pope.
1591. Spenser, M. Hubberd, 626. So wilde a beast … buxome to his bands, is ioy to see.
c. 1684. MS. Let. Corporation of Kirkby to Judge Jeffreys. Your Lordship was pleased to give us … your oath to become a buxome and beneficial member of this corporation.
[1843. Borrow, Bible in Spain, xliii. To be buxom and obedient to the customs and laws of the republic.
1867. Thirlwall, Lett. Friend (1881), 88. In the hope that you will be buxom and good, I conclude now my New Year’s Lecture.]
† b. Submissive, humble, meek. Obs.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 8356. Þat lauedi til hir lauerd lute Wit buxum reuerence and dute. Ibid., 29009. Oure praier aw euer for to be bowsum.
1340. Ayenb., 59. Hi … ziggeþ … þet hi byeþ zuo kueade and zuo zenful … vor þet me ham hereþ and hyealde uor wel boȝsam.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 57. Buxum, or lowly or make, humilis, pius, mansuetus.
c. 1440. York Myst., xxiv. 141. His sisteres praye with bowsom beede.
a. 1455. Holland, Houlate, xxxiv. 12. Bowsum obeysance.
† c. Gracious, indulgent, favorable; obliging, amiable, courteous, affable, kindly. Obs.
1362. Langl., P. Pl., A. VI. 56. Bouweþ forþ bi a brok beoboxum-of-speche. Ibid. (1393), C. IV. 421. God hym-self hoteþ To be boxoine at my bidding.
c. 1460. Towneley Myst., Annunc. 79. (Angel to Joseph) Meek and buxom looke thou be, And with her dwelle.
1536. Bellenden, Cron. Scot. (1821), I. 18. To mak the reders more bowsum and attent. Ibid., 108. Ilk story be thi self is separat, To mak thaim bowsome to thine audience.
† d. with inf.: Easily moved, prone, ready. Obs.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 25208. Þan suld we be … bowsom his bidinges to fullfill.
c. 1340. Richard Rolle of Hampole, Prick of Conscience, 50. The creatours þat er dom … er bughsom To lof hym.
1377. Langl., P. Pl., B. VI. 197. Many a beggere for benes buxome was to swynke.
c. 1440. Gesta Rom. (1879), 22. Þe flesh is euer lewid, and buxom to do Evil.
† 2. Physically: Flexible, pliant. Yielding to pressure, unresisting (poet.). Obs.
1596. Spenser, F. Q., I. xi. 37. Then gan he … scourge the buxome aire so sore That to his force to yielden it was faine.
1599. A. M., trans. Gabelhouer’s Bk. Physicke, 278/2. The Pockes … are verye buxume.
1615. Crooke, Body of Man, 1111. Their substance is … flexible or buxome that they should not breake but giue way to violence.
1667. Milton, P. L., II. 842. Wing silently the buxom Air.
a. 1700. Dryden, Palamon & Arc., II. 519. Her turtles fann’d the buxom air above.
II. Blithe, jolly, well-favored.
3. Blithe, gladsome, bright, lively, gay. arch.
(The explanation in Bailey and Johnson, ‘amorous, wanton,’ is apparently only contextual.)
1590. Greene, Never too Late, A iv. Grey and buxome were his eyne.
1598. Florio, Vago … blithe … buckesome, full of glee.
1599. Shaks., Hen. V., III. vi. 28. A Souldier firme and sound of heart, and of buxome valour.
1620. Shelton, Quix., IV. xxx. 229. He went on his Journey … most glad and bucksome.
1658. Lennard, trans. Charron’s Wisd., Pref. Philosophy, such as this Book teacheth, is altogether pleasant, free, bucksome, and if I may so say, wanton too.
1675. Cotton, Poet. Wks. (1765), 267. A fine Miss … as free, Buxom, and amorous as He.
1678. Marvell, Def. J. Howe, Wks. 1875, IV. 196. I could not but remark here of The Discourse … how jovial It is and bucksom.
1812. Heber, Europe, 312, in Poems & Transl., 54.
| Now, nerv’d with hope, their night of slavery past, | |
| Each heart beats high in Freedom’s buxom blast. |
1848. Lytton, Harold, I. i. That buxom month.
4. Full of health, vigor, and good temper; well-favored, plump and comely, ‘jolly,’ comfortable-looking (in person). (Chiefly of women.)
1589. Greene, Menaph. (Arb.), 43. A bonny prety one, As bright, buxsome and as sheene As was shee.
1608. Middleton, Fam. Love, III. vii. Those ribs shall not enfold thy buxom limbs.
1611. Cotgr., s.v. Matineux, An earlie man is buxome.
1681. Hickeringill, Vind. Naked Truth, II. 22. Those lazy and bucksome Abby-Lubbers.
1683. trans. Erasmus’ Moriæ Enc., 16. My followers are smooth, plump, and bucksom.
1742. Gray, Ode Eton Coll. Theirs buxom health of rosy hue.
1779. Johnson, Gray, Wks. 1787, IV. 303. His epithet buxom health is not elegant; he seems not to understand the word.
1823. Scott, Peveril, xxi. She was a buxom dame about thirty. Ibid. (1828), F. M. Perth, iii. A buxom priest.
1843. Carlyle, Past & Pr., III. viii. (1872), 153. Fresh buxom countenances.
1872. [Earl Pembroke & G. H. Kingsley], S. Sea Bubbles, i. 4. A slight gathering in of her dress with her elbows to exhibit her buxom figure to full perfection.
5. Comb., as buxom-looking.
1840. Barham, Ingol. Leg. (1858), 77. He … followed a buxom-looking handmaiden into the breakfast parlour.
