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.

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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

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Etymology

Origin of jabot

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

Example Sentences

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

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

She wore a gray suit, matching gray gloves, and a lace jabot, as has become her trademark.

From Washington Post • Feb. 1, 2017

And I must add that I personally have a considerably higher regard for Gieshübler's white jabot, in spite of the fact that jabots are no longer worn, than I have for Crampas's red sapper whiskers.

From The German Classics of the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries, Volume 12 by Various

Related Words

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