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Pretty or pleasing; as, a cunning little boy. [Colloq. U.S.] Barlett.

god of love, son of Venus; usually represented as a naked, winged boy with bow and arrow. Pretty dimpled boys, like smiling cupids. Shak.

A genus of plants of the Primrose family, having depressed rounded corms, and pretty nodding flowers with the petals so reflexed as to point upwards, whence it is called rabbit's ears. It is also called sow bread, because hogs are said to eat the corms.

A genus of shrubs with pretty white flowers, much cultivated.

worshipful, and his myrmidons, about a sneaker or five gallons; the whole magistracy was pretty well disguised before I gave them the ship. Spectator.

Free from fear or suspicion. [Obs.] Pretty child, sleep doubtless and secure. Shak.

A genus of shrubs, natives of Australia, New Zealand, etc., having pretty white, red, or purple blossoms, and much resembling heaths.

h pleases or entertains the taste or caprice without much use or value. London pride is a pretty fancy for borders. Mortimer.

Dexterous in movements or service; skillful; neat; nice; pretty. [Archaic] Never master had a page . . . so feat. Shak. And look how well my garments sit upon me --Much feater than before. Shak.

Neat; pretty; well made; graceful. [Obs.] Full fetis was her cloak, as I was ware. Chaucer.

or other manufactured article; a design wrought out in a fabric; as, the muslin was of a pretty figure.

a cirrhosa); a biennial climbing plant with elegant feathery leaves and large clusters of pretty white or pinkish flowers looking like grains of rice.

Neat; pretty; fine; elegant. [Obs.] Spenser. Her body gent and small. Chaucer.

A showy trifle; a toy; a splendid plaything; a pretty but worthless bauble. A heavy gewgaw called a crown. Dryden.

A trivial mechanism; a device; a toy; a pretty thing. Arbuthnot.

An enticing look or glance. [Obs.] A pretty gleek coming from Pallas' eye. Beau. & Fl.

A circumstance or occurrence; an incident. [Slang] This is a pretty go. Dickens.

Green plants; verdure. A pretty little one-storied abode, so rural, so smothered in greenery. J. Ingelow.

e or expression; attractive; having symmetry and dignity; comely; -- expressing more than pretty, and less than beautiful; as, a handsome man or woman; a handsome garment, house, tree, horse.

t; a vixenish woman; a hag. Such a weak, watery, wicked old harridan, substituted for the pretty creature I had been used to see. De Quincey.