chiffon

noun chif·fon \ shi-ˈfän , ˈshi-ˌ \

Updated on: 19 Apr 2018

Definition of chiffon

1 : an ornamental addition (such as a knot of ribbons) to a woman's dress

2 : a sheer fabric especially of silk

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Recent Examples of chiffon from the Web

Her wedding dress, created by designer Helen Rose, was made of off-white satin — 20 yards of it — with a yoke of white and pink chiffon.

— scott harrison, latimes.com, "From the Archives: Elizabeth Taylor gets married," 8 Mar. 2018
At one end of the smaller room, sheer black chiffon drapery fills a doorway.

— charles desmarais, San Francisco Chronicle, "Impact of Jim Hodges, Kara Maria gallery shows impossible to reproduce," 1 Mar. 2018
The 28-year-old Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue cover star — whose new MTV show, Snack-Off, premieres in July — is perfectly on-trend in a sleeveless chiffon top, David Lerner leggings, and knee-high Givenchy boots.

— laurie sandell, Cosmopolitan, "Chrissy Teigen Is a Member of the Mile-High Club," 28 Apr. 2014
Inspired by the 1970s, the line is predominantly in shades of black and gold and fashioned from luxe fabrics such as lame, lace and silk chiffon.

— kavita daswani, latimes.com, "Marie France Van Damme unveils her '70s-inspired capsule collection in time for those Oscar parties," 2 Mar. 2018
Mansur Gavriel has its best-selling streamlined bags, like the calfskin mini cross-body ($795), and its new ready-to-wear offering, which includes a voluminous short-sleeve chiffon dress ($795).

— alison s. cohn, New York Times, "Ring In the Year of the Dog With a Lot of Cute Canine Merch," 14 Feb. 2018
Unraveling knitwear, including a one-off Looney Tunes Road Runner sweater, was also compelling, as was a delicate quilt square-print chiffon dress.

— booth moore, The Hollywood Reporter, "Calvin Klein's Latest Blockbuster Was Food For Thought on a Runway Covered In Popcorn," 14 Feb. 2018
Don't expect any fancy coconut chiffon or blackberry-raspberry truffle concoctions here.

— Southern Living, "Can You Guess How Many Flavors of Costco Cake There Are?," 28 Jan. 2018
The dress' sheer black chiffon wrapped around Hadid's torso like a glove, and formed a romantic, off-the-shoulder sweetheart neckline at her shoulders.

— erica gonzales, Harper's BAZAAR, "Bella Hadid Wore Another Steamy Naked Dress at the Dior Ball," 23 Jan. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'chiffon.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of chiffon

French, literally, rag, from chiffe old rag, alteration of Medieval French chipe, from Middle English chip chip

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1765

in the meaning defined at sense 1

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chiffon

adjective

Definition of chiffon

1 : resembling chiffon in sheerness or softness

2 : having a light delicate texture achieved usually by adding whipped egg whites or whipped gelatin

lemon chiffon pie

Recent Examples of chiffon from the Web

Pendant kitten earrings that might be well paired with a chiffon puppy-print dress from a recent collection, an achingly romantic tiara of pink roses, and, in homage to NYC, big apple earrings.

— laird borrelli-persson, Vogue, "See the Exquisite, One-of-a-Kind Jewels from Dolce & Gabbana’s Latest Alta Gioielleria Collection Here," 7 Apr. 2018

First Known Use of chiffon

1903

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

CHIFFON Defined for English Language Learners

chiffon

noun

Definition of chiffon for English Language Learners

: a very thin cloth made especially of silk

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See words that rhyme with chiffon Spanish Central: Translation of chiffon Nglish: Translation of chiffon for Spanish speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about chiffon

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chiffon

Definition of chiffon

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Origin and Etymology of chiffon

chiffon

Definition of chiffon

Recent Examples of chiffon from the Web

First Known Use of chiffon

CHIFFON Defined for English Language Learners

chiffon

Definition of chiffon for English Language Learners

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