bellibone, n. : “A woman excelling both in beauty and goodness” (Webster). (Pronounced bell’-i-bone, with the accent on bell, and bone pronounced as it’s spelled. Fun fact—with a British accent, it sounds like belly-bone.)
When I first saw this word, a lovely young lady certainly did not come to mind. The word itself is not very euphonic–in fact, I thought it would have something to do with fish or pirates (not exactly sure why…probably the “bone” part).
But Webster explains the origin of this word in his definition. He states that it is from the French words belle and bonne. Belle means beautiful, and bonne means good (Your Dictionary).
Unfortunately, like accoy and mazarine, this word is no longer in use. However, that doesn’t have to stop anyone from utilizing it, including the smitten lad below:
“What a bellibone,” the boy said, smiling stupidly to himself.
The young lady in question, a bellibone according to everyone who knew her—not just her twitterpated friend—was clothed in a silk dress of the deepest mazarine hue.
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