beauty
UK[ˈbjuːti]US[ˈbjuːti]
n
A quality that gives pleasure to the senses or the mind, especially through shape, color, sound, or idea.
n
A beautiful woman, or an excellent example of something.
Etymology
The word 'beauty' entered English via the Anglo-Norman French 'beute' after the Norman Conquest, replacing the native Old English term 'wlite'. Its ultimate source is the Latin adjective 'bellus', meaning 'pretty' or 'fine'. The abstract noun form 'bellitas' (state of being beautiful) evolved in Vulgar Latin and passed into Romance languages. The core conceptual journey is from a concrete Latin descriptor for physical attractiveness to a broader, more abstract English noun encompassing an ideal quality that delights the senses or the intellect, demonstrating how a subjective aesthetic concept was lexicalized through French mediation.
Analysis
The word is a simplex form. It originates from the Anglo-Norman French word 'beute' or 'bealte', which itself came from Vulgar Latin 'bellitas' (meaning 'state of being handsome'), derived from Latin 'bellus' meaning 'pretty, handsome, charming'.
Examples
The natural beauty of the landscape took our breath away.
She was a famous beauty in her youth.
The beauty of the plan is its simplicity.