simon-pure

[sahy-muh n-pyoo r]

See more synonyms for simon-pure on Thesaurus.com

adjective

real; genuine: a simon-pure accent.

Origin of simon-pure

1710–20; short for the real Simon Pure, alluding to the victim of impersonation in Susanna Centlivre's play A Bold Stroke for a Wife (1718)

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for simon-pure

artificial, goody-goody, sanctimonious, smug, snobbish, unctuous, judgmental, pietistic, high-hat, simon-pure

Examples from the Web for simon-pure

Historical Examples of simon-pure

The simon-pure cowpuncher would not accept a self-cocker as a gift.
Roosevelt in the Bad Lands
H. Hagedorn.
The solo is Massenet, simon-pure Massenet, the idol of the Paris midinette.
The Merry-Go-Round
Carl Van Vechten
To use a philosophical term, the paranoiac is the Simon-pure "solipsist."
The Behavior of Crowds
Everett Dean Martin
He looked the very picture and pattern of a Simon-Pure salt.
Manuel Pereira
F. C. Adams
He has a cupboard love for Sarah, but I think that his affection for me is simon-pure.
Mavis of Green Hill
Faith Baldwin

British Dictionary definitions for simon-pure

simon-pure

adjective

real; genuine; authentic

Word Origin for simon-pure

C19: from the phrase the real Simon Pure, name of a character in the play A Bold Stroke for a Wife (1717) by Susannah Centlivre (1669–1723) who is impersonated by another character in some scenes

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for simon-pure

adj.

1815, from the true Simon Pure "the genuine person or thing" (1795), from Simon Pure, name of a Quaker who is impersonated by another character (Colonel Feignwell) in part of the comedy "A Bold Stroke for a Wife" (1717) by Susannah Centlivre, English dramatist and actress. The real Simon Pure is dealt with as an imposter in the play and is believed only after he has proved his identity.