a. Obs. Also 6 Sc. formois. [ad. L. formōs-us beautiful, f. forma FORM: see -OSE.] beautiful, comely.

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14[?].  Nine Ladies Worthie, 27, in Chaucer’s Wks. (1561), 342. Of all femine creturis the moste formous flour!

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c. 1450.  Mirour Saluacioun, 4003. Moises faire and formouse.

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1530.  Lyndesay, Test. Papyngo, 104.

        Amang the flowris fresche, fragrant, & formose,
My vitale spretis dewlie did rejose.

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1567.  Satir. Poems Reform., iii. 59.

        In pulchritude to Paris perigall,
  With browis brent and twinkland Cristell eine,
Of face formois and vult heroycall,
  He mycht haue bene ane marrow to ane Quene.

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a. 1658.  Cleveland, Vit. Uxoris, iii. Wks. (1687), 267.

        But if he chuse one most Formose,
Ripe for’t, shee’ll prove libidinous,
Argus himself sha’nt keep her.

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1684.  I. Mather, Remark. Provid. (1856), 175. The nymphs which deluded many of old, when the world was buried under heathenism, were dæmons, presenting themselves in shapes very formose.

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