finery

¹

[fahy-nuh-ree]

noun

1. fine or showy dress, ornaments, etc.

finery

²

[fahy-nuh-ree]

noun

Metalworking.

plural

fineries 

1. a hearth for converting cast iron into wrought iron; refinery.

finery

¹

/ ˈfaɪnərɪ /

noun

1. elaborate or showy decoration, esp clothing and jewellery

finery

²

/ ˈfaɪnərɪ /

noun

1. a hearth for converting cast iron into wrought iron

Word History and Origins

Origin of finery¹

First recorded in 1670–80; fine ¹ + -ery

Origin of finery²

1600–10; < Middle French finerie, equivalent to fin ( er ) to refine ( fine ¹ ) + erie -ery

Word History and Origins

Origin of finery¹

C17: from Old French finerie , from finer to refine; see _fine ¹

Example Sentences

It is a quintessentially British tennis experience: punters dressed in their finery, Pimm's in full flow and a beautiful setting, with as much care taken of the flowers and greenery as the pristine courts.

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Resplendent in finery that makes her resemble a gilded black widow spider, the Director coaches kids to dance and brawl until they bleed.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Senegalese influencer Khaby Lame took pocket watch finery to stunning heights.

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His call for a “poor church” also put him at odds with those inside the Vatican who prized the church’s splendor and finery as symbols of its transcendent nature.

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But for all its imperial finery and grandeur, the waltz was the people’s dance.

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Related Words

• apparel 
• regalia