sideburns

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plural noun side·burns \ˈsīd-ˌbərnz\

Definition of sideburns

1 : side-whiskers
2 : continuations of the hairline in front of the ears

sideburned

play \ˈsīd-ˌbərnd\ adjective

Origin and Etymology of sideburns

anagram of burnsides

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1876

See Words from the same year

Other Fashion Terms

bodkin, chignon, cowlick, eau de toilette, imperial, pocket, pomander, tonsorial

SIDEBURNS Defined for English Language Learners

sideburns

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noun

Definition of sideburns for English Language Learners

: hair that grows on the side of a man's face in front of his ears

SIDEBURNS Defined for Kids

sideburns

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noun plural side·burns \ˈsīd-ˌbərnz\

Definition of sideburns for Students

: hair growing on the side of the face in front of the ears

History for sideburns

During the American Civil War there was a Union general named Ambrose Burnside who grew long bushy whiskers on the sides of his face. His appearance first struck the people of Washington, D.C., as he led parades with his regiment of Rhode Island volunteers. Though his later military career had its ups and downs, the general's early popularity encouraged a fashion for such whiskers, which began to be called burnsides. By the 1880s the order of the two words making up burnsides was reversed to give sideburns.