Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Healthily plump and ample of figure.
  • adjective Full-bosomed.
  • adjective Archaic Lively; vivacious.
  • adjective Obsolete Obedient; yielding; pliant.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • To be obedient; yield.
  • Yielding to pressure; flexible; unresisting.
  • Obedient; obsequious; submissive.
  • Having health and comeliness together with a lively disposition; healthy and cheerful; brisk; jolly; lively and vigorous.
  • Showing vigor or robustness; sturdy; fresh; brisk: said of things: as, “buxom valour,”
  • Amorous; wanton.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adjective obsolete Yielding; pliable or compliant; ready to obey; obedient; tractable; docile; meek; humble.
  • adjective Having the characteristics of health, vigor, and comeliness, combined with a gay, lively manner; stout and rosy; jolly; frolicsome.
  • adjective chiefly dialect having a pronounced womanly shape.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective of a woman Having a full, voluptuous figure, especially possessing large breasts.
  • adjective dated, of a woman Healthy, lively.
  • adjective archaic Cheerful, lively, happy.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adjective (of a woman's body) having a large bosom and pleasing curves
  • adjective (of a female body) healthily plump and vigorous

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English, obedient, from Old English *būhsum, from būgan, to bend, submit; see bheug- in Indo-European roots.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Middle English buxum, buhsum ("bendsome, flexible, pliant, obedient"), from Old English *būhsum (“bendsome, pliant”), a derivative of Old English būgan ("to bend, bow"), equivalent to bow +‎ -some. Cognate with Dutch buigzaam ("flexible, pliant"), German biegsam ("flexible, pliant").

Support

Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word buxom.

Examples

  • None other of the deathless gods is to blame, but only cloud-gathering Zeus who gave her to Hades, her father's brother, to be called his buxom wife.

    Hesiod, the Homeric Hymns, and Homerica Hesiod

  • Russell, best known as the buxom star of 1940s and 1950s movie, died of respiratory failure at her home in Santa Maria, central California, her family said.

    Yahoo! News: Business - Opinion 2011

  • Russell, best known as the buxom star of 1940s and 1950s movie, died of respiratory problems at her home in Santa Maria, central California, according to Etta Waterfield, her daughter-in-law.

    Yahoo! News: Business - Opinion 2011

  • Russell, best known as the buxom star of 1940s and 1950s movie, died of respiratory problems at her home in Santa Maria, central California, according to Etta Waterfield, her daughter-in-law.

    Yahoo! News: Business - Opinion 2011

  • Russell, best known as the buxom star of 1940s and 1950s films, died of respiratory problems at her home in Santa Maria, central California, according to Etta Waterfield, her daughter-in-law.

    Telegraph.co.uk - Telegraph online, Daily Telegraph and Sunday Telegraph 2011

  • Russell, best known as the buxom star of 1940s and 1950s movie, died of respiratory problems at her home in Santa Maria, central California, according to Etta Waterfield, her daughter-in-law.

    Yahoo! News: Business - Opinion 2011

  • Henry seemed to have so much guilt attached to his marriage with Katherine; one wonders if it was because she was, as Henry himself testified, "buxom" in the bedchamber.

    The Six Wives of Henry VIII elena maria vidal 2009

  • Henry seemed to have so much guilt attached to his marriage with Katherine; one wonders if it was because she was, as Henry himself testified, "buxom" in the bedchamber.

    Archive 2009-03-01 elena maria vidal 2009

  • English marriage rites until the fourteenth century, when the wife promised to be "buxom" (which then meant submissive) and "bonair"

    Little Essays of Love and Virtue Havelock Ellis 1899

  • Hades, her father’s brother, to be called his buxom wife.

    Hesiod, Homeric Hymns, and Homerica 2007

Comments

Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.

  • The word 'buxom' at one time meant 'obedient'.

    May 7, 2008

  • Well, if that's what you're into...

    November 13, 2008

  • Origin, Middle English: from the stem of Old English "būgan" (to bend) + "-some". The original sense was (compliant, obliging), later (lively and good-tempered), influenced by the traditional association of plumpness and good health with an easygoing nature.

    November 21, 2008

  • obedient or yielding (etymologically from the root for 'bend') is Century's Dictionary first definition.

    Also in paradoxical fashion is #5: Showing vigor or robustness; sturdy; fresh; brisk: said of things: as, “buxom valour,”

    September 5, 2011