beau

Noun

beau (plural beaux or beaus)

1. (dated) A man with a reputation for fine dress and etiquette; a dandy or fop.
   • “[…]—I suppose your brother was quite a beau, Miss Dashwood, before he married, as he was so rich?”
     “Upon my word,” replied Elinor, “I cannot tell you, for I do not perfectly comprehend the meaning of the word. But this I can say, that if he ever was a beau before he married, he is one still, for...1811, [Jane Austen], chapter XXI, in Sense and Sensibility […], volume I, London: […] C[harles] Roworth, […], and published by T[homas] Egerton, […], →OCLC, page 290
   • [H]e could not but turn with ineffable contempt to the tawdry beaus and belles from the city, who presumed to mingle in the fashionable gala.1824, Cut and Come again [pseudonym], “On Cutting”, in Tobias Merton [pseudonym; Samuel Egerton Brydges and Egerton Anthony Brydges], editor, The Literary Magnet of the Belles Lettres, Science, and...

   Synonyms:

   blood, popinjay, barbermonger, blade, buck, carpet knight, cockscomb, dandy, dike, dood

2. (Canada, US, dated) A male lover; a boyfriend.
   • Hannah's beau takes all her time 'n' thought, and when she gits a husband her mother'll be out o' sight and out o' mind.1917, Kate Douglas Wiggin, Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm, page 142
   • “I don’t see how. But anyhow, you’ll be rich some day—your Aunt Elizabeth will likely leave you all her money, Mother says. So I don’t care if you are living on charity—I love you and I’m going to stick up for you. Have you got a beau, Emily?”
     “No,” cried Emily, blushing violently and quite...1923, Lucy Maud Montgomery, “Chapter 8”, in Emily of New Moon

   Synonyms:

   suitor, swain, admirer, adorer, baby, beloved, courter, crush, darling, enamorado

3. A male escort.

   Synonyms:

   callboy, party boy, abandons, alley cat, almah, bangtail, Bankside lady, bargirl, bat, beotch

4. A suitor of a lady.

   Synonyms:

   courter, sparker, wooer

Verb

beau (third-person singular simple present beaus, present participle beauing, simple past and past participle beaued)

1. (ambitransitive) To act as a beau (towards); to court or woo.
   • “[…] And now to think that Laura’s teaching school, and Almanzo Wilder’s beauing her home.”
     ”Oh, no! He isn’t!” Laura cried out. “It isn’t like that at all. He came for me as a favor to Pa.”1943, Laura Ingalls Wilder, These Happy Golden Years
   • Everyone was feeling grandacious, as if getting dressed for a night of beauing.2013, Philipp Meyer, The Son, Simon & Schuster, published 2014, page 74

   Synonyms:

   put the moves on, romance, address, bedear, chase after, court, endear, make a move (on), make love, pitch woo

Proper noun capitalized: Beau

UK/bəʊ/US/boʊ/

Beau

1. A male given name used since mid-twentieth century.
   • 'Mees Melly, I hear she call her boy "Beauregard". You tell her I, René, approve and say that except for "Jesus" there is no bettaire name.' And though he smiled, his eyes glowed proudly at the name of Louisiana's dashing hero. 'Well, there's "Robert Edward Lee" ', observed Tommy. 'And while I'm...1936 June 30, Margaret Mitchell, chapter XXXV, in Gone with the Wind, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company, →OCLC