different between luscious vs toothsome

English

Alternative forms

• lushious (obsolete)

Etymology

From earlier lushious, lussyouse (“luscious, richly sweet, delicious”), a corruption of *lustious, from lusty (“pleasant, delicious”) +? -ous. Shakespeare uses both lush (short for lushious) and lusty in the same sense: "How lush and lusty the grass looks" (The Tempest ii. I.52).

An alternative etymology connects luscious to a Middle English term: lucius, an alteration of licious, believed to be a shortening of delicious.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?l???s/
• Rhymes: -???s

Adjective

luscious (comparative more luscious, superlative most luscious)

1. Sweet and pleasant; delicious.
   • 1863, H.S. Thompson, Down by the River Liv'd a Maiden

     Her lips were like two luscious beefsteaks.

   • 1900, L. Frank Baum, The Wizard of Oz

     There were lovely patches of greensward all about, with stately trees bearing rich and luscious fruits.

2. Sexually appealing; seductive.
3. Obscene.

Translations

English

Etymology

tooth +? -some

Adjective

toothsome (comparative more toothsome, superlative most toothsome)

1. Delicious.
   • 1908, Lucy Maud Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables:

     "It's a lot nicer than going round by the road; that is so dusty and hot," said Diana practically, peeping into her dinner basket and mentally calculating if the three juicy, toothsome, raspberry tarts reposing there were divided among ten girls, how many bites each girl would have.

   • 1991, Stephen Fry, The Liar, p. 58:

     ‘I had the happy notion of adding an egg,’ Williams shouted back. ‘It poaches in the soup. Not unlike an Italian stracciatella. Singularly toothsome...’

2. Sexually attractive.
3. Having a pleasing texture when bitten.

   • Once the pasta is firmly al dente (toothsome but not snappy), add it into the pan, with a bunch of cheese, and cook til it all becomes glossy.

     Bagels are fine, but give me a warm bialy any time. With its crisp bits of onion nestled snugly into a golden pillow of toothsome chewiness, this is the ideal substrate for lox and a schmear—or just on its own.

4. Showing lots of teeth, toothy.