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Synonyms

fancy dress

American  

noun

  1. a costume for a ball, masquerade, etc., chosen to please the fancy, usually a costume characteristic of a particular period or place, class of persons, or historical or fictitious character.

fancy dress British  

noun

    1. costume worn at masquerades, etc, usually representing a particular role, historical figure, etc

    2. ( as modifier )

      a fancy-dress ball
"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

Etymology

Origin of fancy dress

First recorded in 1760–70

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.

Helmets are obligatory for those being carried - fancy dress is expected.

From BBC

In pictures taken at the time Trevor can be seen on stage with Barlow, including one documenting the pair in fancy dress on New Year's Eve.

From BBC

Brazilian police have disguised themselves using fancy dress to blend in as Carnival-goers to target phone thieves in Rio de Janeiro.

From BBC

What if he finds the postcard hidden inside my fancy dress?

From Literature

James lost his life after going to watch cricket in fancy dress, when England played a Test match at Trent Bridge in July 2011.

From BBC

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.