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postiche

American  
[paw-steesh, po-] / pɔˈstiʃ, pɒ- /

adjective

  1. superadded, especially inappropriately, as a sculptural or architectural ornament.

  2. artificial, counterfeit, or false.

noun

  1. an imitation or substitute.

  2. pretense; sham.

  3. a false hairpiece.

postiche British  
/ pɒˈstiːʃ /

adjective

  1. (of architectural ornament) inappropriately applied; sham

  2. false or artificial; spurious

"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

noun

  1. another term for hairpiece

  2. an imitation, counterfeit, or substitute

  3. anything that is false; sham or pretence

"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 postiche

1850–55; < French < Italian apposticcio < Vulgar Latin *appositīcius added to. See apposite, -itious

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.

"No," said Lady Catchpole; "anything false which is well made up we call a postiche; it need not be exactly a wig."

From Piccadilly A Fragment of Contemporary Biography by Oliphant, Laurence

Ah, the taunts we shall have to endure when the postiche is discovered, from the rivals that have always been jealous and are still under the prestige of our former charms!

From Piccadilly A Fragment of Contemporary Biography by Oliphant, Laurence

Fastidiousness, at any rate, is very good postiche for modesty: it is always decent, it can never be coarse.

From Wisdom, Wit, and Pathos of Ouida Selected from the Works of Ouida by Ouida

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.