callipygous

WOTD – 14 February 2009    

English

Etymology

From Ancient Greek κάλλος (kallos, “beauty”) + πυγή (pugē, “buttocks”) + English -ous

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA: /kalɪˈpɪdʒəs/, /kalɪˈpʌɪɡəs/
• (US) IPA: /ˌkæl.ɪˈpɪ.dʒəs/, /kæləˈpaɪɡəs/, X-SAMPA: /%k{l.I"pI.dZ@s/

• Audio (US)

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Adjective

callipygous (comparative more callipygous, superlative most callipygous)

1. Having shapely, beautiful buttocks.
   • 1928, Aldous Huxley, Point Counter Point, Chapter VII, page 88:

     One does not fall very desperately in love with a loud speaker, however pretty, however firmly plump (for Philip's tastes were rather old-fashioned), however attractively callipygous.

   • 1961, Joseph Heller, Catch-22:

     He enjoyed Nurse Sue Ann Duckett’s long white legs and supple, callipygous ass; he often neglected to remember that she was quite slim and fragile from the waist up and hurt her unintentionally in moments of passion when he hugged her too roughly.

   • 1976, Samuel R. Delany, Triton, Bantam Books, ISBN 0553229796, page 105:

     The other hand came up and together they described a near callipygous shape.

Synonyms

• (having beautiful buttocks): bootylicious, callipygian

See also

• natiform
• steatopygous