frill

1 of 2

verb

ˈfril 

frilled; frilling; frills

transitive verb

: to provide or decorate with a frill

frill

2 of 2

noun

1

a

: a gathered, pleated, or bias-cut fabric edging used on clothing

b

: a strip of paper curled at one end and rolled to be slipped over the bone end (as of a chop) in serving

2

: a ruff of hair or feathers or a bony or cartilaginous projection about the neck of an animal

3

a

: affectation, air

—usually used in plural

intellectual frills and fustian

—Joseph Epstein

b

: something decorative or useful and desirable but not essential : luxury

frilly

ˈfri-lē 

adjective

Synonyms

Noun

• flounce
• furbelow
• ruffle

Examples of frill in a Sentence

Noun

The dress had frills around the hem and sleeves.

He likes plain food without any frills.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Today, that plant is one of thousands on the grounds, a place where monarch ferns frill around the auburn necks of melinonii philodendrons and buttercream and magenta orchids hang like pendants from a jabuticabeira, its spreading copper limbs blistered with purple fruit. —Michael Snyder Pedro Kok, New York Times, 22 Mar. 2024

The collection, which will surely be talked about as the best of the entire week, was an unflinching reminder that a serious depth of femininity — the frilled, bedazzled, artistic kind — should never be mistaken for weakness. —Gabrielle Korn, refinery29.com, 13 Feb. 2020

Word History

Etymology

Noun

perhaps from Dutch dialect (Brabant) frul ribbon bow, trifle

First Known Use

Verb

1574, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1591, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

frill

noun

ˈfril

1

: ruffle entry 2 sense 2a

2

: something added mostly for show

3

: a thick fringe of hair or feathers or projection of bone or cartilage about the neck of an animal