sequin

noun

se·​quin ˈsē-kwən 

1

: an old gold coin of Italy and Turkey

2

: a small plate of shining metal or plastic used for ornamentation especially on clothing

Examples of sequin in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Amal pulled out all the stops in a black sequin vintage Yves Saint Laurent dress with retro tulle overlay, a Jimmy Choo clutch and Lorraine Schwartz jewelry. —Alex Apatoff, PEOPLE, 4 Feb. 2026

Each year, members devote months to crafting suits that can weigh up to 150 pounds, adorned with sequins, glass stones, beads, plume feathers, and turkey quills. —Symiah Dorsey, Southern Living, 3 Feb. 2026

Olivia Dean wore a black sequin and white ball skirt frock, paired with coordinating heels. —Ashley Hume, FOXNews.com, 2 Feb. 2026

Tonally limber, this crowd-pleaser is made of slow-motion sequins and plenty of scenes of the increasingly off-balance Kikuchi tripping over her metaphorical feet. —Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 1 Feb. 2026

Word History

Etymology

French, from Italian zecchino, from zecca mint, from Arabic (dār al-) sikka, literally, house of the minting die

First Known Use

1617, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

sequin

noun

se·​quin ˈsē-kwən 

: a small piece of shiny metal or plastic used as an ornament especially on clothes