organdie
Britishnoun
Etymology
Origin of organdie
C19: from French organdi, of unknown origin
Explanation
Organdie is a crisp, sheer fabric made of silk or cotton. Old-fashioned, formal children's clothes with big, stiff, ruffles are often made of organdie. Organdie is so fine that it's nearly translucent, but a special finish is usually applied to make it stiff and prevent wrinkling. Light summer dresses are sometimes made of organdie with a lighter finish, while fancy organdie curtains tend to be much stiffer. The word's origin, beyond the French organdi, is a bit of a mystery, though it may stem from Organzi, an Uzbek city that was once a textile center.
Vocabulary lists containing organdie
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.
In this lesser-known story by Noel Streatfeild, Selina Cole is growing up in post-war England, with no occasions to wear an organdie dress with a blue satin sash.
From The Guardian ● Jul. 12, 2012
The wedding dress was sleeveless white organdie, with white satin flowers appliquéd on the neck and the bust.
From The New Yorker ● Aug. 30, 2010
All five wore puffy, white organdie court frocks and poke bonnets, and each wore her favorite flower in her hair.
From Time Magazine Archive
She thinks we shouldn't wear organdie blouses or put red polish on our fingernails.
From Time Magazine Archive
From her throat to her sandals she was clothed in white organdie.
From Playing With Fire by Amelia Edith Huddleston Barr
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.
