luscious

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English

Alternative forms

Etymology

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 same sense: "How lush and lusty the grass looks" (The Tempest ii. I.52).

An alternative etymology connects luscious to a Middle English term: lucius, an alteration of licious, believed to be a shortening of delicious.

Pronunciation

Adjective

luscious (comparative more luscious, superlative most luscious)

  1. Sweet and pleasant; delicious.
    Synonyms: toothsome; see also Thesaurus:delicious
    • 1863, H.S. Thompson, Down by the River Liv'd a Maiden:
      Her lips were like two luscious beefsteaks.
    • 1900 May 17, L Frank Baum, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Chicago, Ill.; New York, N.Y.: Geo M Hill Co., →OCLC:
      There were lovely patches of greensward all about, with stately trees bearing rich and luscious fruits.
  2. Sexually appealing; seductive.
    Synonyms: juicy; see also Thesaurus:sexy
    • 1749, John Cleland, Memoirs of Fanny Hill: A New and Genuine Edition from the Original Text:
      With one hand he gently disclosed the lips of that luscious mouth of nature.
  3. Obscene.
    • 1749, John Cleland, Memoirs of Fanny Hill: A New and Genuine Edition from the Original Text:
      Hitherto 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.

Translations