A person who sees, watches, or observes something; someone who looks at something.
From Old English behaldan, 'be-' (thoroughly) + 'haldan' (to hold). It meant 'to hold completely in view.' The -er suffix creates an agent noun. The phrase 'beauty in the eye of the beholder' preserves the original meaning.
A beholder isn't a passive watcher—the word means someone who holds something completely within their gaze, suggesting active, careful observation. That's why 'beauty in the eye of the beholder' emphasizes that observers don't just receive beauty passively; they hold it, interpret it, and make it real.
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