peruke
[ puh-rook ]
/ pəˈruk /
noun
a man's wig of the 17th and 18th centuries, usually powdered and gathered at the back of the neck with a ribbon; periwig.
Nearby words
peru, peru balsam, peru current, perugia, perugino, peruke, perusal, peruse, perutz, perutz, max ferdinand, peruvian
Origin of peruke
First recorded in 1540–50, peruke is from the Middle French word perruque head of hair, wig, of disputed orig.
Related formspe·ruked, adjectivepe·ruke·less, adjectiveun·pe·ruked, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for peruke
British Dictionary definitions for peruke
peruke
/ (pəˈruːk) /
noun
a type of wig for men, fashionable in the 17th and 18th centuriesAlso called: periwig
Word Origin for peruke
C16: from French perruque, from Italian perrucca wig, of obscure origin
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Word Origin and History for peruke
peruke
1540s, "natural head of hair," from Middle French perruque (late 15c.), from Italian perrucca "head of hair, wig," of uncertain origin; supposed by some to be connected to Latin pilus "hair," "but the phonetic difficulties are considerable" [OED]. Meaning "artificial head of hair, periwig" is attested from 1560s.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper