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Synonyms

jabot

American  
[zha-boh, ja-, zhab-oh, jab-oh] / ʒæˈboʊ, dʒæ-, ˈʒæb oʊ, ˈdʒæb oʊ /

noun

  1. a decorative ruffle or other arrangement of lace or cloth attached at the neckline and extending down the front of a woman's blouse or dress or, formerly, of a man's shirt.


jabot British  
/ ˈʒæbəʊ /

noun

  1. a frill or ruffle on the breast or throat of a garment, originally to hide the closure of a shirt

"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 jabot

1815–25; < French: literally, bird's crop, probably < Provençal (N dialects); see gavotte

Explanation

A jabot is a decorative ruffle on the front of a blouse or shirt. You probably have seen the famous portrait of George Washington in his jabot and white wig. A jabot, pronounced "zhah-BOH," is a decoration or frill on a man or woman's shirt. Picture a frilly pirate shirt and you'll have a pretty good idea of what a classic jabot looks like, though they range from ruffles to lace and are worn by judges, choir members, and Scottish dancers, among others. Jabot is a French word that originally described the crop of a bird.

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

Vocabulary lists containing jabot

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.

See Examples For:

A historically correct Gaston would have delighted in an opulently embroidered waistcoat and ruffled jabot, rather than a solid colored V-neck whose only adornment was its plunging décolletage.

From New York Times Dec. 26, 2021

Some fell vertically like the traditional jabot, and others encircled her neck like a lace doily.

From Los Angeles Times Sep. 23, 2020

Ginsburg looked fit in her black robe and distinctive white jabot, and, as usual, was an early and aggressive questioner.

From Washington Post Oct. 7, 2019

Then, menswear tuxedos, boyish silhouettes, glam rock boots and silk multicolored jabot collars evoked the excesses of Studio 54 in its 1970s heyday when Yves Saint Laurent was a guest.

From Seattle Times Sep. 25, 2018

It's pretty drass dat she's got on, I lak' de polonaise, Vere bodice it is all meex op Vit jabot all de vays.

From The Wit and Humor of America, Volume I. (of X.) by Wilder, Marshall Pinckney

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