Word of the Day: PULCHRITUDE

An unlovely word for beauty

pulchritude (noun) - physical beauty or fairness [puhl-kri-tood]

• pulchritudinous means beautiful, attractive, or comely

BREAKDOWN: The words pulchritude and pulchritudinous are the only common English words based on the Latin root PULCHER- meaning beautiful. Other derivations exist, like pulchrify meaning to make beautiful, but there is little beauty in using such outdated words.

“Pulchritude--beauty where you would least suspect it, hidden in a word that looked like it should signify a belch or a skin infection.” —Zadie Smith

[Our Wednesday Wildcards are fascinating and important words that are not necessarily derived from classical roots.]