a. Forms: 5 bewtyose, 5–6 beauteuous, 6 beuteus, bewtyous, 7 beuteous, bewtious, 6–8 beautious, 6– beauteous. [f. beaute, BEAUTY sb. + -OUS. Cf. plenteous.]
Distinguished by beauty, exceedingly fair in appearance or elegant in form, pleasing to the sight, beautiful. (Literary and chiefly poetical.)
c. 1440. York Myst., xlvi. 175. As bewteous braunche for to bere.
1480. Caxton, Descr. Brit., 6. England is beauteuous … flour of londes all aboute.
1596. Shaks., Tam. Shr., I. ii. 86. A wife With wealth enough, and yong and beautious.
1667. Milton, P. L., IV. 697. Each beauteous flour.
1711. Steele, Spect., No. 144, ¶ 1. There is something irresistible in a beauteous Form.
c. 1805. Wordsw., Sonn., I. xxx. Wks. III. 32. It is a beauteous evening, calm and free.
1855. Browning, In Balcony, in Men & Wom., II. 105. The dearest, richest, beauteousest and best Of women.
