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Glite Dictionary
furbelow

furbelow

1 9.9
A strip of cloth folded into small ruffles that decorates clothes or curtains
  • noun
  • /ˈfɜrˌbɛloʊ/
  • Archaic
translation icon : volante
  • My valet can plait a tress or twirl a furbelow... quicker than a handywoman... but he has no knack with horses.
  • frills and furbelows

Examples

  • Too many frills and furbelows.

    The Great Muppet Caper (1981)

  • The furbelows of dead men.

    Fiction book (2001)

  • To the furbelow of the wily whale

    A Mighty Wind (2003)

  • It was me she was flipping her frills and furbelows at.

    The Toast of New York (1937)

  • The dress was adorned with a beautiful furbelow that added a touch of elegance.

  • Her costume featured colorful furbelows that made her stand out at the event.

  • The curtains in the living room were trimmed with a delicate furbelow that enhanced their charm.

Synonyms

ruffle
vsfurbelow
21 5.6

A strip of gathered cloth used as a decorative edge on clothes

is not limited to collar forms and appears as general trim
frill
vsfurbelow
2 3.1

A strip of fabric gathered or folded and sewn as a decorative edge on clothing

is used as trim more generally rather than only as edging
flounce
vsfurbelow
1 7.4

A strip of cloth with soft folds used to decorate clothes or curtains

is used also on furniture and other household items

How Frilly

flounce
1 7.4
furbelow
  • Archaic
1 9.9
ruffle
21 5.6
frill
2 3.1

Surface Forms

furbelow singular
furbelows plural

Etymology

Furbelow probably came into English from French words for small decorative ruffles on clothing, and a helpful way to remember it is to think of a 'frill' or 'ruffle' sewn along the edge of a dress or curtain. So a furbelow is a strip of gathered material used as a decorative trim.