sequin
Americannoun
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sequins
plural
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a small shining disk or spangle used for ornamentation, as on clothing, accessories, or theatrical costumes.
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a former gold coin of Venice, introduced in 1284; ducat.
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a former gold coin of Malta, introduced c1535.
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a former gold coin of Turkey, introduced in 1478.
noun
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a small piece of shiny often coloured metal foil or plastic, usually round, used to decorate garments, etc
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Also called: zecchino. any of various gold coins that were formerly minted in Italy, Turkey, and Malta
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of sequin
First recorded in 1575–85; from French sequin, from Italian zecchino, equivalent to zecc(a) “mint” (from Arabic sikkah “die, coin”) + -ino -ine 2
Explanation
A sequin is a flat little bead that catches the light and makes evening gowns shimmer. One little sequin is pretty, but they like to stick together. There’d be no figure skating without sequins. Sequins were originally made out of tiny metal discs, but today they're commonly made from shiny circles of plastic. The original sequins explain the name, which stems from their resemblance to coins; sequin was the 17th century name of an Italian gold coin. Today's sequins are used to decorate clothes, shoes, handbags, and anything else that needs extra sparkles.
Vocabulary lists containing sequin
Mardi Gras: Fun
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The Night Diary
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Nine Stories
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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.
See Examples For:
He walks on with a gold sequin jacket over a fresh-pressed polka-dot shirt, fuchsia bell-bottoms and yellow trucker hat and he has an Appalachian-style beard.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 18, 2026
Among the pieces that she had teased on social media were a sewing machine, a steamer, lamps, a “tiny side table,” a sequin romper, and a Bergdorf Goodman jacket.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 13, 2025
We also saw Goldstein live out her Barbie dreams, as she did daring dips, squats and swirls in a silver sequin jumpsuit, while Davies and Olympian Harry Aikines-Aryeetey also impressed.
From BBC ● Oct. 11, 2025
At a backyard disco party he threw recently, Zuckerberg wore a sequin floral bomber jacket over a drapey shirt unbuttoned to the mid-stomach.
From Salon ● Nov. 9, 2024
El picks up a photo of her mom in a floor-length red sequin gown.
From "Dumplin'" by Julie Murphy
One year after the death of Giorgio Armani, his brand's designs are pairing traditional elegance with crystals and sequins for the spring-summer collection presented on Sunday.
From Barron's ● Sep. 27, 2026
Faux jewels, sequins and shiny baubles were Parton’s signature once she became a household name.
From Salon ● Aug. 26, 2026
They arrived in sequins and feather boas; or sometimes in waistcoats and ties.
From BBC ● Jun. 13, 2026
Puppeteers, dressed in the classic Bob Baker red from head to toe, brought out some of the company’s beloved icons — including the show’s host, Pink Cat, adorned in sequins and jewelry.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 16, 2026
Oh, see how they shine in their sequins and glitter?
From "Beauty Queens" by Libba Bray
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
