crinoline

American  

[krin-l-in] / ˈkrɪn l ɪn /

noun

• crinolines
  plural

1. a petticoat of haircloth or other stiff material, worn under a full skirt to keep it belled out.

2. a stiff, coarse cotton material for interlining.

3. a hoop skirt.

4. a reinforcement of iron straps for holding together brickwork, as of a furnace or chimney.

---

crinoline British  

/ ˈkrɪnəlɪn /

noun

1. a stiff fabric, originally of horsehair and linen used in lining garments

2. a petticoat stiffened with this, worn to distend skirts, esp in the mid-19th century

3. a framework of steel hoops worn for the same purpose

---

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• crinolines
  plural

Etymology

Origin of crinoline

1820–30; < French < Italian crinolino, equivalent to crino horse-hair (≪ Latin crīnis hair) + lino flax < Latin līnum; cf. linen

Explanation

Crinoline is a stiff, coarse type of fabric that can make some clothes rigid. If you want an extra puffy skirt, put a layer of crinoline under it. You ever notice how a hat is stiffer than other clothes? The material that often makes it stiff is called crinoline. Crinoline also used to be popular as material in woman's skirts, the kind of skirts that were two or three times wider than the woman: crinoline helped achieve that effect. Crinoline was originally made with horsehair, but now material with the same purpose is still called crinoline, though it might have a different composition.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

crinoline crinolines

There is also a costume inspired by crinoline, the stiff or structured petticoat designed to hold out a skirt or tutu, but whimsically reimagined using neoprene.

From Barron's ● Feb. 12, 2026

She styled the tailored look with a headpiece featuring a crinoline base with a layer of tulle and merry widow veiling, adorned with a Petersham ribbon bow.

From Seattle Times ● May 6, 2023

She styled the tailored look with a headpiece featuring a crinoline base with a layer of tulle and merry widow veiling, adorned with a ribbon bow.

From Washington Times ● May 6, 2023

If, for example, you enjoy the swish of crinoline against your thighs, you get precious little opportunity to feel it these days.

From Washington Post ● Feb. 6, 2022

It has a narrow waist and a crinoline skirt that bells out like a ballerina’s tutu.

From "Before We Were Free" by Julia Alvarez

Skirts could be very full, with crinolines underneath, or they could be pencil skirts, worn with cinch belts and sweaters with bat-wing sleeves.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 2, 2025

Tattoos disappeared under rose pink frills, corsets were tightened, crinolines were adjusted and propped, pearls shone on their necks and ears.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 20, 2023

And his fear that the work’s immediacy would be drowned in crinolines has been justified by a thousand soft, safe costume-drama “Traviatas.”

From New York Times ● Oct. 14, 2019

J.Crew showed a quirky mix of Fair Isle sweaters over pleated skirts and crinolines, as well as full trousers and dramatics blouses — all of it on nonprofessional models.

From Washington Post ● Feb. 17, 2017

Silks, woolens, crinolines, cottons, satins, taffetas, tulles, and velvets are stretched over long tables by teams of people.

From "The Belles" by Dhonielle Clayton