luscious

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[edit] English

[edit] Etymology

From Early Modern English lushious (--Spenser), lussyouse (--Palsgrave) "luscious, richly sweet, delicious", of uncertain origin. Believed to be a corruption of earlier *lustious from lusty (“pleasant, delicious”) +‎ -ous, due to the spelling. Shakespeare uses both lush (short for lushious) and lusty in the selfsame sense: 'How lush and lusty the grass looks'. --Temp. ii. I.52.

Alternative etymology connects luscious to a Middle English term: lucius, an alteration of licious, believed to be a shortening of delicious. See delicious.

[edit] Pronunciation

Rhymes: -ʌʃəs

[edit] Adjective

luscious (comparative more luscious, superlative most luscious)

sweet and pleasant; delicious
- 1863, H.S. Thompson, Down by the River Liv'd a Maiden
  
  Her lips were like two luscious beefsteaks
- 1900, L. Frank Baum, The Wizard of Oz
  
  There were lovely patches of greensward all about, with stately trees bearing rich and luscious fruits.
sexually appealing; seductive
- 1749, John Cleland, Memoirs of Fanny Hill: A New and Genuine Edition from the Original Text
  
  With one hand he gently disclosed the lips of that luscious mouth of nature
obscene
- 1749, John Cleland, Memoirs of Fanny Hill: A New and Genuine Edition from the Original Text
  
  Hitherto I had been indebted only to the girls of the house for the corruption of my innocence: their luscious talk, in which modesty was far from respected