farthingale

noun

far·thin·gale | \ ˈfär-t͟hən-ˌgāl

, -t͟hiŋ-\

Definition of farthingale

: a support (as of hoops) worn especially in the 16th century beneath a skirt to expand it at the hipline

Examples of farthingale in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Freed from the hassle of manipulating doublets and farthingales, the performers can move naturally and easily. — James Jorden, New York Times, "Finally, a Well-Staged ‘Don Giovanni’ in New York," 11 Aug. 2017 The bright and complex costumes, with some characters in apparel like Elizabethan farthingales, are equally picturesque. — Alastair Macaulay, New York Times, "Dance This Fall: Indian Mythology and Ballets by Women," 15 Sep. 2016

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

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More about farthingale

Dictionary Entries near farthingale

farthingale chair

Statistics for farthingale

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for farthingale

The first known use of farthingale was in 1552

See more words from the same year

Comments on farthingale

What made you want to look up farthingale? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

WORD OF THE DAY

prestigious

esteemed in general opinion

Test Your Vocabulary

What did you just call me?! A Quiz

If a member of the audience describes your speech as bombastic, does that person mean it is:

rousing and inspiring pompous and overblown

How Strong Is Your Vocabulary?

Test your vocabulary with our 10-question quiz!

TAKE THE QUIZ

Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games