Pulchritude

Pronunciation

• enPR: pÅ­lʹkrÄ­-tÅ«dʹ
• IPA: ˈpʰʌɫkɹəˌtuːd

Origin

Middle English pulcritude, from Latin pulchritūdō, from pulcher ("beautiful").

Full definition of pulchritude

Noun

1. Physical beauty.
• 1978, Charles D. Benson and William Barnaby Faherty, Moonport: A History of Apollo Launch Facilities and Operations, NASA Special Publication 4204, 1978, ch. 4 http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/SP-4204/ch4-8.htmlOne participant recalls arriving at his Cocoa Beach motel on a Saturday evening with the Miss Universe contest on TV. To his wife's amazement, his interest in feminine pulchritude gave way to fatigue, and he was asleep before the final selection.
• 1979, The Jerk, 00:18:20Do you know why a woman of such pulchritude is married to me? 'Cause I make a comfortable living.

Synonyms

• comeliness

Derived terms

• pulchritudinous