goodlihead

noun — 2 senses

goodlihead

noun

Etymology From Middle English goodlihede, goodelyhede, equivalent to goodly + -head.

1

Obsolete The character or nature of a goodly person; goodliness.

  • But mote thy goodlyhed forgiue it mee, / To weet, which of the Gods I shall thee name, / That vnto thee due worship I may rightly frame.1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book II, Canto III”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC:
2

Archaic, Poetic Goodly appearance or looks; beauty.

  • The lilies, of great goodlihead, divinely tall, sway with a stately, languid grace; the Canterbury bells are all ringing.1893, Eliakim Littell, Robert S. Littell, The Living Age ...:
  • Now, by the strength and fury of Hercules -- To whom in stature, might, and goodlihead Most like thou art I pray thee, have in mind Him, and resolve to match his deeds with thine.1943, Quintus (Smyrnaeus), Arthur Sanders Way, The Fall of Troy
1 more example
  • Let me but have my tea and sugar, my well-fed ass and my good wife at hand, and let my children wax in stature and goodlihead — then my cup is full, I crave nothing more.1950, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, The wisdom of the sands:

Entry derived from the Wiktionary, under licence CC BY-SA 4.0 — list of authors.