Webster
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Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary · 1913

Virtuous

Vir′tu·ous, a. [OE. vertuous, OF. vertuos, vertuous, F. vertueux, fr. L. Virtuous. See Virtue, and cf. Virtuoso.] 1. Possessing or exhibiting virtue. Specifically: —

(a) Exhibiting manly courage and strength; valorous; valiant; brave. [Obs.]

Old Priam's son, amongst them all, was chiefly virtuous. Chapman.

(b) Having power or efficacy; powerfully operative; efficacious; potent. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Lifting up his virtuous staff on high, He smote the sea, which calméd was with speed. Spenser.

Every virtuous plant and healing herb. Milton.

(c) Having moral excellence; characterized by morality; upright; righteous; pure; as, a virtuous action.

The virtuous mind that ever walks attended By a strong siding champion, conscience. Milton.

2. Chaste; pure; — applied especially to women.

Mistress Ford . . . the virtuous creature, that hath the jealous fool to her husband. Shak.

— Vir′tu·ous·ly, adv. — Vir′tu·ous·ness, n.

Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Noah Porter, editor (Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913). Public domain. Text as transcribed by MICRA, Inc., from Project Gutenberg. Changed for Deep Dive Bible: Greek, which our source spelled in Latin letters, set in Greek letters; entries of one spelling merged into one article; Greek words our source left out (shown as “?”), read from the 1898 printing, from the same plates (the Library of Congress’s copy), where the place could be found with certainty. Of the others, 1,362 (a word or a single letter each) were inferred by AI from the context by the dictionary’s own rules and are marked with a wavy underline (tap or point at one to see the note); the rest, which could not be inferred with confidence, are left as “?”.