Handsum

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Pleasing to look at, having an attractive appearance ; generous or sizable in quantity, as in a large amount of money
2. Good-looking and appealing to the eye ; ample or substantial in size, especially when referring to a sum given or received
3. Having an appealing, well-proportioned look ; large, liberal, or considerable in value or amount

Etymology: Originally, something handsome was something you could manage with your hands. The word is built from "hand" and the suffix "-some," which in Old English meant "having the qualities of," as in "wholesome" or "lithesome." The earliest sense was therefore "easy to handle," "convenient," or "handy," so a handsome tool was simply a well-made, useful one. Over the centuries the sense moved from the practical to the aesthetic. Speakers first applied the term to skill and then to appearance, and it came to describe a person's looks, which is the meaning that survives today. Middle English writers also spelled it "handsum," a form that reflects the older pronunciation before the modern spelling became standard.