mantua

[man-choo-uh]

See more synonyms for mantua on Thesaurus.com

noun

a woman's loose gown worn as a robe or overdress in the early 18th century.
a mantle.

Origin of mantua

1670–80; variant of manteau, by association with Mantua

Mantua

[man-choo-uh]

noun

a city in E Lombardy, in N Italy: birthplace of Vergil.

Italian Man·to·va

[mahn-taw-vah] /ˈmɑn tɔ vɑ/.

Related formsMan·tu·an, adjective, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for mantua

thread, fiber, taffeta, tulle, mantua, samite, tussore, tussah, pongee, sendal

Examples from the Web for mantua

Historical Examples of mantua

"I am going to ride to Mantua," rejoined Lorenzi impatiently.
Casanova's Homecoming
Arthur Schnitzler
The Marquis Gonzaga of Mantua, in all seriousness, writes to relate this.
The Life of Cesare Borgia
Raphael Sabatini
"Oh, that the Duchess were returned from Mantua," she sighed.
Love-at-Arms
Raphael Sabatini
I want to show it to some gentlemen who have come from the most reverend, the Cardinal of Mantua.
Italy, the Magic Land
Lilian Whiting
In Mantua the printer was a Jewish physician, who was helped by his wife.
The Civilisation of the Renaissance in Italy
Jacob Burckhardt

British Dictionary definitions for mantua

mantua

noun

a loose gown of the 17th and 18th centuries, worn open in front to show the underskirt

Word Origin for mantua

C17: changed from manteau, through the influence of Mantua

Mantua

noun

a city in N Italy, in E Lombardy, surrounded by lakes: birthplace of Virgil. Pop: 47 790 (2001)Italian name: Mantova

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

Word Origin and History for mantua

loose gown worn by women 17c.-18c., 1670s, from French manteau "cloak, mantle," from Old French mantel (see mantle); form influenced in English by Mantua, name of a city in Italy. Mantua-maker (1690s) became the general early 19c. term for "dressmaker."