WORD OF THE DAY: PHILOCALIST

PHILOCALIST

​​NOUN
a lover  of beauty, or of beautiful things ...1858 obs. rare

ETYMOLOGY
from philo- + Greek ϕιλόκαλος (loving beauty) from καλός (kalos) beautiful + -ist

FIRST DOCUMENTED USE
1858 - see EXAMPLE below

EXAMPLE
"...This poor, vindictive, solitary, and powerful creature, was a philocalist: he had a singular love of flowers and of beautiful women. He was a sort of Paris, to whom the blushing Aphrodites of the glen used to come, and his judgment is said to have been as good, as the world generally thinks that of Oenone's handsome and faithless mate. His garden was full of the finest flowers..."
From: Horae Subsecivae. Locke and Sydenham: with other occasional papers
- John Brown