rhizoverbBeta
DictionarybeauMale romantic companion
noun

beau

BOH/boʊ/

A boyfriend or male suitor.

Her beau offers flowers as they walk affectionately together.

A woman smiles as her well-dressed boyfriend offers her flowers and walks beside her affectionately.
Etymology
beauLatinhandsome, agreeable

Latin bellus supplies the idea of handsomeness. In French, the adjective became a noun for a handsome man; the English romantic sense identifies him as a woman's suitor or companion.

In context

Rumour Juice3:03
her beau, Justin Timberlake. But when pressed for juicy details about their romance, Spears
Why Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake Feud Escalates | Rumour Juice
Mashed4:30
her beau for the next 15 years before their reported 2008 breakup. More recently,
Martha Stewart's Transformation Is Really Turning Heads

More examples

  • Her beau brought flowers to the dinner.
  • The novel follows the heroine and her devoted beau.
  • Two former beaux appear in her memoir.

Forms

beau · beaus · beaux

Similar words

boyfriend
The usual modern equivalent.
suitor
A man pursuing a romantic relationship.