beauty: Meaning and Definition of

beau•ty

Pronunciation: (by'tē), [key]
— pl. -ties.
  1. the quality present in a thing or person that gives intense pleasure or deep satisfaction to the mind, whether arising from sensory manifestations (as shape, color, sound, etc.), a meaningful design or pattern, or something else (as a personality in which high spiritual qualities are manifest).
  2. a beautiful person, esp. a woman.
  3. a beautiful thing, as a work of art or a building.
  4. Often,something that is beautiful in nature or in some natural or artificial environment.
  5. an individually pleasing or beautiful quality; grace; charm: a vivid blue area that is the one real beauty of the painting.
  6. a particular advantage: One of the beauties of this medicine is the freedom from aftereffects.
  7. (usually used ironically) something extraordinary: My sunburn was a real beauty.
  8. something excellent of its kind: My old car was a beauty.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
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