cicisbeo

[ chee-chiz-bey-ohor, older use, si-sis-bee-oh; Italian chee-cheez-be-oh ]

noun

, plural ci·cis·be·i [chee-chiz-, bey, -ee, si-, sis, -bee-ee, chee-cheez-, be, -ee].

1. an escort or lover of a married woman.

cicisbeo

/ tʃitʃizˈbɛːo /

noun

1. the escort or lover of a married woman, esp in 18th-century Italy

Word History and Origins

Origin of cicisbeo¹

From Italian

Word History and Origins

Origin of cicisbeo¹

C18: Italian, of uncertain origin

Example Sentences

The restricted intellectual relationship between husband and wife is explained partly by the fact that the cicisbeo still exists.

From Project Gutenberg

The cicisbeo is a bony cartilaginous gentleman, fixed perpendicularly on his saddle like a telegraph-pole.

From Project Gutenberg

If she has one Cicisbeo, or ten, the whole affair is selon les règles.

From Project Gutenberg

Heretofore, he had shunned everything that could secure for him the reputation of a cicisbeo.

From Project Gutenberg

One thing let me tell you; never admit your Cicisbeo to an unlimited familiarity; they are first suspected.

From Project Gutenberg