Buxomest

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Having an ample and pleasing figure that often emphasizes curves and femininity
2. Pertaining to a robust physique that is notably curvy and appealing, particularly in women
3. Characterized by a generously curved and voluptuous figure that is often considered attractive

Etymology: "Buxomest" is the superlative of "buxom," and the surprise lies in the original meaning. Middle English "buxom" meant "bendsome, flexible, pliant, obedient," a sense that has nothing to do with body shape. It came from Old English "bōcsum" and a reconstructed Proto-West Germanic form, built from "bow" in the sense of bending at the waist, plus the suffix "-some," meaning "-ful" or "tending to." Its relatives in other languages keep that older sense: Dutch "buigzaam" and German "biegsam" both mean flexible or pliant. Over the centuries the word drifted from describing a supple, yielding disposition toward describing a supple, yielding body. Once the sense of bending gave way to the sense of curves, the word settled on the full, rounded figure it carries today. The shift is a good example of how a word for flexibility can become a word for a shape that is, in its way, very bendable.

Synonyms: full-figured, curviest

Antonyms: thin, slim