arch. Forms: 4–5 facond(e, 4–6 facound(e, 6 facunde, 6– facuud. [ME. faconde, facounde, ad. OF. facond, ad. L. fācundus eloquent, f. fāri to speak.]
1. Eloquent; also fig., said of beauty, etc.
c. 1381. Chaucer, Parl. Foules, 521. With facound voys seyde, ‘Holde your tonges there.’
1483. Caxton, Gold. Leg., 230/1. Martha was ryght facounde of speche and curtoys and gracious to the sight of the peple.
1503. Hawes, The Example of Virtue, iv. 43.
| In many a stower they wanne the vyctory | |
| And were endued with facounde pulcrytude | |
| For to haunte armes was theyr consuetude. |
1530. Lyndesay, Test. Papyngo, 710. Ȝour facunde wordis fair.
1586. J. Ferne, The Blazon of Gentrie, II. 27. Poets and excellent Musicions, whose braines being not moysted with the iuyce of Bacchus, to whom that herbe is dedicate, be nothinge plenty nor facund.
1610. Chester’s Tri., Joy’s Speech, 89. The powerfull tongue of facund Mercury.
1721–1800. in Bailey.
1859. I. Taylor, Logic in Theol., 179. It is the learned and the facund Jerome who is our authority.
† 2. Inspiring or promoting eloquence. Obs.
1501. Douglas, Pal. Hon., II. xl. The facund well and hill of Helicon.
