ball gown
8
3.5
- noun
- /bɔl ɡaʊn/
:
vestido de gala
- She wore a stunning ball gown to the charity gala last night.
- wearing a ball gown
- couture ball gown
- white ball gown
And let's wear our ball gown to this other child's birthday party.
- And let's wear our ball gown to this other child's birthday party.
- And I had this massive ball gown, OK, And I had to hem it.
- We was in a Rolls Royce, She was in a ball gown and we weren't, we weren't protest ready.
- Today I'm going to be wearing a quite OTT ball gown.
- I just remembered that wet that that gown that Kate Hudson wears in the movie with the like purple lilac ribbon, you know, it's the ball gown.
- So we me and Izzy turn up in cargoes, little top crop like crop top top crop and fucking as soon as you walk in Amy child's ball gown.
Examples
-
Red is strikingly reintroduced when Esther sheds her overcoat to reveal her ball gown as she attempts to comfort Tootie with "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas."
Academic text (1998) -
You must return to town right away and tell that seamstress to run us up three fine ball gowns.
-
You need a ball gown for that?
-
And there was her husband, wearing her best ball gown.
-
Such a beautiful ball gown.
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The ball gown, no matter how beautiful, is not complete until the dancing shoes have been put on.
Blog text (14) -
Has she gotten her Inaugural Ball gown yet?
Blog text (13) -
There's a rumor that you have two brand new ball gowns.
Fiction book (1991) -
I created a ball gown for her from an exquisite violet-blue velvet, striped in gold.
Fiction book (1997) -
There were no beads, sequins, or lace, but it was a big poofy ball gown skirt.
Blog text (3)
Synonyms
192
2.5
A long formal robe like those worn at graduations or in court
12
2.7
A long formal dress that women wear to evening parties or special events
7
3.4
A formal dress worn by women for evening events
1
4.1
A long elegant dress that women wear to formal dances
1
2.7
A formal, stylish dress worn for special events
A formal dress a woman wears to a ball or gala
A formal dress worn to evening events, especially dinners
A formal long gown worn to evening events like dinners
How Formal
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'a long, formal dress for a ball' is directly and transparently composed from 'ball' (a formal dance) + 'gown' (a long formal dress); a learner who knows both constituents can infer the compound's meaning. This compositional pattern is common across languages and follows normal noun + noun compound formation, so it is predictable for a B1 learner.
Etymology
The word ball gown comes from old dances called 'balls', where women wore long, full gowns to dance. So ball gown today means a long, formal dress for very special events.