Etymology Map
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Buxom

3 stages from Old English to English.

Today it means (of a woman) attractively plump and full-bosomed

Where does the word "buxom" come from? It comes from Old English būgan, passing through Middle English before entering English (1590s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
būgan
Old English · medieval
"to bend"
'to bend, bow', also the root of 'bow' and 'bight'
2
Stage 2 of 3
buhsum
Middle English · 1100s
"obedient"
'pliant, obedient'; in the Sarum marriage rite the bride promised to be 'bonere and buxum in bedde and at borde'
3
Stage 3 of 3
buxom
English · 1590s
"plump, full-figured"
passed through 'blithe, jolly' to 'plump and healthy', and later 'full-bosomed'
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Read the full story

Buxom’s story begins in Old English: būgan meant “to bend.” 'to bend, bow', also the root of 'bow' and 'bight'. By 1100s, the word had taken hold in Middle English as buhsum. 'pliant, obedient'; in the Sarum marriage rite the bride promised to be 'bonere and buxum in bedde and at borde'. It reached English by 1590s as buxom. Passed through 'blithe, jolly' to 'plump and healthy', and later 'full-bosomed'. Today, buxom means (of a woman) attractively plump and full-bosomed.