Whole"some (?), a. [Compar.
Wholesomer (?); superl. Wholesomest.]
[Whole + some; cf. Icel. heilsamr, G. heilsam,
D. heilzaam.]
1. Tending to promote health; favoring health;
salubrious; salutary.
Wholesome thirst and appetite.
Milton.
From which the industrious poor derive an agreeable and
wholesome variety of food.
A Smith.
2. Contributing to the health of the mind;
favorable to morals, religion, or prosperity; conducive to good; salutary;
sound; as, wholesome advice; wholesome doctrines;
wholesome truths; wholesome laws.
A wholesome tongue is a tree of life.
Prov. xv. 4.
I can not . . . make you a wholesome answer; my wit's
diseased.
Shak.
A wholesome suspicion began to be
entertained.
Sir W. Scott.
3. Sound; healthy. [Obs.] Shak.
-- Whole"some*ly, adv. --
Whole"some*ness, n.