Wednesday, February 13, 2013

virtue, virtu, vertu

Virtue or virtue ( ver choo ) means moral excellence or uprightness--
He considered himself a paragon of virtue, but others disagreed.
His  chief virtue is his willingness to learn.

Virtue also means an attribute or quality, in general--
This product has the added virtue of being environmentally friendly.
"...the Scarecrow, by virtue of his highly superior brains, shall rule in my stead..."

Virtue is also an old-fashioned euphemism for chastity or virginity--
She is so old that she lost her virtue in the back of a horse and carriage. 
Her skimpy outfit gave her the look of a woman of easy virtue.

Vertu or vertu ( ver too, also spelled virtu ) means the excellence of style or execution of a work of art, or works of art or antiques in general--
Her home was filled with vertu collected during trips to Europe.
He was a connoisseur of vertu of all kinds.

 Now that you know that, you can say--
"By virtue of his appreciation for vertu of several kinds, his collection grew in value over the years."


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