Luscious
Pronunciation
- Rhymes: -ʌʃəs
Alternative forms
- lushious obsolete
Origin
From earlier lushious, lussyouse ("luscious, richly sweet, delicious"), a corruption of *lustious, from lusty("pleasant, delicious") + -ous. Shakespeare uses both lush (short for lushious) and lusty in the selfsame sense: 'How lush and lusty the grass looks'. —Temp. ii. I.52. See also lush, lusty.
Alternative etymology connects luscious to a Middle English term: lucius, an alteration of licious, believed to be a shortening of delicious. See delicious.
Full definition of luscious
Adjective
luscious
- sweet and pleasant; delicious
- 1863, H.S. Thompson, Down by the River Liv'd a MaidenHer lips were like two luscious beefsteaks
- 1900, L. Frank Baum, The Wizard of OzThere were lovely patches of greensward all about, with stately trees bearing rich and luscious fruits.
- sexually appealing; seductive
- 1749, John Cleland, Memoirs of Fanny Hill: A New and Genuine Edition from the Original TextWith one hand he gently disclosed the lips of that luscious mouth of nature
- obscene
- 1749, John Cleland, Memoirs of Fanny Hill: A New and Genuine Edition from the Original TextHitherto I had been indebted only to the girls of the house for the corruption of my innocence: their luscious talk, in which modesty was far from respected