trousseau

noun

trous·​seau ˈtrü-(ˌ)sō  trü-ˈsō 

plural trousseaux ˈtrü-(ˌ)sōz 

trü-ˈsōz

or trousseaus

: the personal possessions of a bride usually including clothes, accessories, and household linens and wares

Did you know?

Trousseau is a descendant of the French verb trousser, meaning "to truss" or "to tuck up." Fittingly, a bride might truss, or bundle, a variety of items as part of her trousseau—and it is not too surprising that truss is also a trousser descendant. A less common descendant of trousser is retroussé, meaning "turned up," as in a "retroussé nose." The ultimate origin of trousser is likely the Latin verb torquēre, which means "to twist." Torquēre has many descendants in the language, among them a number of "tort" words (distort, contort, retort, extort), torque, and torture.

Examples of trousseau in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Because of the varied nature of her nominations, with some awards presented during the prime-time show and others during last weekend’s Creative Arts ceremony, Rudolph had to plan a trousseau of sorts. —Laia Garcia-Furtado, Vogue, 16 Sep. 2024

The real fun comes from experiencing distinctive local varietals like trousseau, poulsard, and savignin, and meeting the producers who treat making these obscure wines like an art form. —Sue Williamson, Vogue, 6 Aug. 2024

Olivia von Halle, beloved for her sumptuous silk pajamas, and jewelry designer Jessica McCormack have come together to design seven exclusive styles with the most lavish bridal trousseau in mind. —Anny Choi, Vogue, 2 July 2024

While there were plenty of places to shop for classic wedding dresses and bridal trousseau items, there were far fewer destinations to find pieces for the miscellaneous events surrounding the main event that have become increasingly standard. —Elise Taylor, Vogue, 1 Mar. 2023

Also part of her wedding trousseau? —Elise Taylor, Vogue, 14 July 2022

Embroidery conjures up images of vintage trousseaus and highly coveted handmade items available only to a lucky few. —Maggie Gillette, Better Homes & Gardens, 17 Mar. 2023

But the bride was allowed 100 extra ration coupons for her trousseau. —Danica Kirka, Jill Lawless and Sylvia Hui, Anchorage Daily News, 8 Sep. 2022

Wallis Simpson, who orders many pieces for her trousseau from Schiaparelli, will be photographed in a lobster dress by Cecil Beaton for Vogue. —Laird Borrelli-Persson, Vogue, 1 July 2022

Word History

Etymology

French, from Old French, diminutive of trousse bundle, from trousser to truss

First Known Use

1817, in the meaning defined above

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Kids Definition

trousseau

noun

trous·​seau ˈtrü-ˌsō 

plural trousseaux -ˌsōz  or trousseaus

: the clothes and personal possessions (as household linens) of a bride