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Griffes

[grif-uh s]
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noun
  1. Charles Tomlinson,1884–1920, U.S. composer.

griffe1

[grif]
noun Chiefly Louisiana.
  1. the offspring of a black and a mulatto.
  2. a person of mixed black and American Indian ancestry.
  3. a mulatto, especially a woman.

Origin of griffe1

1715–25, Americanism; < Louisiana French < American Spanish grifo curly-haired

griffe2

[grif]
noun Architecture.
  1. an ornament at the base of a column, projecting from the torus toward a corner of the plinth.

Origin of griffe2

1870–75; < French: claw < Germanic
Also called spur.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for griffes

Historical Examples

  • The griffes listened to Lacelle, showing their white teeth and smiling at her rage.

    Latitude 19 degree

    Mrs. Schuyler Crowninshield

British Dictionary definitions for griffes

griffe

noun
  1. architect a carved ornament at the base of a column, often in the form of a claw

Word Origin

C19: from French: claw, of Germanic origin
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012