bon vivant
Preserved but no longer current.
A free liver; one who indulges in the "good things of the table." Bon viveur means much the same, but is rather stronger, suggesting one who makes a pursuit of other pleasures besides those of the table.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “bon vivant” mean?
A free liver; one who indulges in the "good things of the table." Bon viveur means much the same, but is rather stronger, suggesting one who makes a pursuit of other pleasures besides those of the table.
Is “bon vivant” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.