furbelow

[ fur-buh-loh ]

/ ˈfɜr bəˌloʊ /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR furbelow ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a ruffle or flounce, as on a woman's skirt or petticoat.

any bit of showy trimming or finery.

verb (used with object)

to ornament with or as if with furbelows.

Nearby words

furaldehyde, furan, furanose, furazolidone, furbearer, furbelow, furbish, furbish lousewort, furca, furcal, furcate

Origin of furbelow

First recorded in 1670–80; variant of falbala

Related forms

un·fur·be·lowed, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for furbelow

And, if it were a mere fal-lal, a furbelow of larval coquetry, even that would not surprise me.
The Glow-Worm and Other Beetles|Jean Henri Fabre
There was not a flower or ruche or frill or furbelow or bow about her dress of which he did not make a mental inventory.
Mortomley's Estate, Vol. II (of 3)|Charlotte Elizabeth Lawson Cowan Riddell
Then why, in the name of common sense, did you gaze so earnestly at the furbelow lady herself?
The Widow Barnaby|Frances Trollope
It was a hull week afore I could make up my mind to go out of my office, and the sight of a furbelow raly made me sick.
Highlife in New York: a series of letters to Mr. Zephariah Slick,|Ann S. Stephens

A furbelow of precious stones, a hat buttoned with a diamond, a brocade waistcoat or petticoat, are standing topics.
The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction, Vol. 10, Issue 267, August 4, 1827|Various

British Dictionary definitions for furbelow

furbelow

/ (ˈfɜːbɪˌləʊ) /

noun

a flounce, ruffle, or other ornamental trim

(often plural) showy ornamentation

verb

(tr) to put a furbelow on (a garment)

Word Origin for furbelow

C18: by folk etymology from French dialect farbella; see falbala

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