eyesome

English

Etymology

From eye +‎ -some. Its meaning is likely influenced by handsome.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈaɪ.səm/

Adjective

eyesome (comparative more eyesome, superlative most eyesome)

1. (archaic, often poetic) Visually attractive.
   • 1919, Thomas Hardy, “The Background and the Figure (Lover's Ditty)”, in Moments of Vision:

     Between the blooms where the sod basked bright,
     By the bobbing fuchsia trees,
     Was another and yet more eyesome sight—
     The sight that richened these.

   • 2004 June 13, David W. Dunlap, “The Crossroads of the Crossroads”, in New York Times, page CY3:

     Get a load of the "eyesome femininity" at the International Casino, as the Times put it.

References

• Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., 1989.
• Random House Webster's Unabridged Electronic Dictionary, 1987-1996.