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Definitions

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

  1. n. A person with refined taste, especially one who enjoys superb food and drink.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

  1. A generous liver; a jovial companion.

Wiktionary

  1. n. a person who enjoys the good things in life, especially good food and drink

GNU Webster's 1913

  1. A good fellow; a jovial companion; a free liver.

WordNet 3.0

  1. n. a person devoted to refined sensuous enjoyment (especially good food and drink)

Etymologies

  1. French : bon, good + vivant, present participle of vivre, to live.

Examples

  • “In this connection he spoke of John Fiske and his contributions to literature, telling of the surprise he felt on first meeting Fiske at Harvard, to see the look of the bon vivant in one in whom the intellectual and the spiritual were so prominent.”

    Our Friend John Burroughs

  • “At Fort Adams, Newport, Rhode Island, he had won a great name as a bon vivant and as an obliging host.”

    Simon & Schuster: LEE’S LIEUTENANTS

  • “The only consistently solid element is the Doctor himself: a solid synthesis of David Tennant's best characteristics & his turn-on-a-dime change of attitude, from carefree bon vivant to hard-edged hero.”

    Dopplegangland

  • ““Even in his school-days, Saint-Hilaire was a bon vivant, but a bon vivant of a rather rare type, a person of tremendous distinction  …  ””

    Maigret in Society

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‘bon vivant’ has been looked up 1941 times, loved by 6 people, added to 36 lists, commented on 2 times, and is not a valid Scrabble word.