coiffure
Americannoun
plural
coiffures-
a style of arranging the hair.
-
a head covering; headdress.
verb (used with object)
-
to arrange or comb (the hair) in a coiffure; to style (the hair).
-
to provide with a head covering or headdress; cover with a coiffure.
noun
-
a hairstyle
-
an obsolete word for headdress
verb
Etymology
Origin of coiffure
First recorded in 1625–35; from French, equivalent to coiff(er) “to dress the hair” + -ure noun suffix; coif 2, -ure
Explanation
Coiffure is a fancy French word for hairdo. If you spend a lot of time working on your coiffure, you spend a lot of time in front of the mirror fixing your hair. The word coiffure originally meant hairstylist, now it means the style. The word implies an elaborate style, not just a regular haircut. A beehive hairdo, for instance, would be rightly called a coiffure. A military-style buzz cut is just a trim. The word can be shortened to coif, but be careful as this word has other meanings as well.
Vocabulary lists containing coiffure
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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Shear Genius: Hairy Vocabulary
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Things Fall Apart
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Four years ago, as Pence and Harris were discussing systemic racism, a fly settled on the snowy expanse of Pence’s white coiffure — and ended up walking away with the evening’s affair.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 29, 2024
Former opposition lawmaker Leung Kwok-hung, better known as Long Hair for his coiffure, once described himself as a “Marxist revolutionary”.
From BBC • May 29, 2024
Sporting a handsome white coiffure and an inviting tone, Ciscomani spoke warmly about his immigrant parents, the price of milk and eggs, the fight against fentanyl and the accessibility of homeownership.
From Salon • Feb. 10, 2023
Medusa, the mythological creature with a snake coiffure, is a mascot of Versace.
From Seattle Times • Sep. 12, 2022
Nicole focused on the tub’s label, where a smiling black woman in pearls touched a hand to her shiny-straight coiffure.
From "Beauty Queens" by Libba Bray
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
