coiffure

noun coif·fure \ kwä-ˈfyu̇r \

Updated on: 1 Apr 2018

Definition of coiffure

: a style or manner of arranging the hair

I love his eerily perfect coiffure and his … impish smile …
—Scott Raab

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Examples of coiffure in a Sentence

with his flashy suit and carefully sculpted coiffure, he looks like a slick car dealer

Recent Examples of coiffure from the Web

The move is a natural one, as Malik is something of an above-neck chameleon, ricocheting between coiffures colored pink, blue, and raven, and shearing off both hair and signature stubble on occasion.

— calin van paris, Vogue, "Zayn Malik Goes Platinum—and Proves Post-Breakup Hair is Real," 21 Mar. 2018
Blending in, however, turned out to be a whole lot harder than my coiffure choices and a tolerance for bathrooms devoid of toilet paper.

— sara lieberman, Allure, "Traveling Alone at 37 Changed How I Felt About My Gray Hair," 21 Mar. 2018
Maratti, also known as Maratta, depicted his bride swathed in shimmering lavender-blue drapery, with an elaborate coiffure.

— steven litt, cleveland.com, "Cleveland Museum of Art acquires Italian portrait, African sculptures, Weston photos (photos)," 14 Mar. 2018
Along with Weir’s coiffure, the breakout star at Pyeongchang has been Liz Swaney.

— david whitley, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Johnny Weir's hair and I will star in next Winter Olympics," 24 Feb. 2018
Meanwhile, across the ocean in France, Marie Antoinette’s hairdresser, Léonard Autié, was busy creating voluminous coiffures punctured by fresh flowers meant to conjure a shimmering Eden.

— ligaya mishan, New York Times, "The Power of Wearing Flowers," 16 Feb. 2018
Angela Bassett, as T’Challa’s mother and Queen of Wakanda, sports a jaw-dropping coiffure of snow-white dreadlocks.

— joanna robinson, HWD, "Black Panther Footage Reveals the Ferocious Female Warriors of Wakanda [Updated]," 18 Apr. 2017
From the workshop of the 15th-century painter Pisanello comes a sheet with five drawn of heads of young boys, each with a distinctive coiffure, and each ready to be, basically, Photoshopped into a painting.

— holland cotter, New York Times, "Collecting Strokes of Genius," 12 Oct. 2017
Here, the legendary coiffure provides an inside look at the inspiration behind each of his sculptural creations.

— lauren valenti, Vogue, "Céline Dion Rules Paris in 4 Magical Headpieces by a Couture Hair Master," 20 July 2017

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

Did You Know?

First appearing in English in the 1630s, coiffure derives from the French verb coiffer, which can mean "to arrange (hair)" or "to cover with a coif (any of various close-fitting caps, such as that worn under a veil by a nun)." The word is now used as a somewhat fancy way of saying "hairdo." Be careful not to confuse it with "coiffeur," which refers to a man who works as a hairdresser (and of which "coiffeuse" is the female equivalent). You may also encounter "coif" used to mean "hairstyle" - in such cases, "coif" is operating as a shortened form of "coiffure."

Origin and Etymology of coiffure

borrowed from French, going back to Middle French, "head covering, adornment of the hair," from coiffer "to cover with a coif, arrange (hair)" (going back to Old French coiffer, coifer, derivative of coife ¹coif) + -ure -ure

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: circa 1631

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year