farthingale
1
9.9
A stiff garment with hoops worn under a skirt to make it wide
- noun
- /ˈfɑrθɪŋɡeɪl/
- Archaic
:
farthingale
- She adjusted her farthingale before stepping into the ballroom, wanting to ensure it flared perfectly.
Examples
-
But by the summer, her belly must have been big enough to test even the most expansive farthingale's capacity for disguise.
Academic text (1999) -
In the 16th century, women often wore a farthingale under their skirts to create a fashionable silhouette.
-
The elaborate design of the farthingale added width to her dress, making her stand out at the party.
Synonyms
petticoat
vsfarthingale
12
5.7
A light loose piece of underwear worn from the waist under a skirt or dress
is a hooped framework worn under skirts to make them stick out
How Wide
Surface Forms
farthingale singular
farthingales plural
Etymology
Farthingale comes from the Spanish word verdugado, which means 'made with rods' and refers to the wooden hoops or sticks used to hold a skirt wide. So a farthingale is a stiff frame worn under a skirt to make it very wide.