chopine

Also chop·in

[choh-peen, chop-in]

noun

1. a shoe having a thick sole, usually of cork, suggesting a short stilt, worn especially by women in 18th-century Europe after its introduction from Turkey.

chopine

/ tʃɒˈpiːn, ˈtʃɒpɪn /

noun

1. a sandal-like shoe on tall wooden or cork bases popular in the 18th century

Word History and Origins

Origin of chopine¹

1570–80; < Spanish chapín, equivalent to chap(a) (< Middle French chape chape ) + -in -in ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of chopine¹

C16: from Old Spanish chapín, probably imitative of the sound made by the shoe when walking

Example Sentences

Courtesans soon adopted them as a status symbol, wearing extra-high chopines, or platforms, to tower above other court members in a symbolic show of sexual dominance.

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That supposedly inspired the chopine of 16th-century Venice, and one delicately embroidered pair from that era shown in the book could still attract attention at a party today.

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Dolce & Gabbana showed velvet Mary Janes perched on mosaic wedges nearly as high as the chopines worn by 16th-century Venetian courtesans to protect their elaborate gowns from the filth of the streets.

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Both sets of women wore the sky-high chopines, or platform shoes, in which they were expected to walk and even dance.

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In Italy, prominent women wore 20-inch-tall chopines, while in France and England, the fad was for long pointy-toed shoes called poulaines.

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