crinoline

American  

[krin-l-in] / ˈkrɪn l ɪn /

noun

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

---

Etymology

Origin of crinoline

1820–30; < French < Italian crinolino, equivalent to crino horse-hair (≪ Latin crīnis hair) + lino flax < Latin līnum; 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 Crinoline was originally made with horsehair, but now material with the same purpose is still called crinoline, though it might have a different composition.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

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

The bustle of one dress was made of rolls of crinoline that resemble a judge’s wig or a lobster tail.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 14, 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

Full leather midcentury skirts in butter yellow and lavender, bulked out not by a crinoline, but by an acre of fringe.

From New York Times • Feb. 27, 2022

Lucinda and Susie and their girlfriends sit on lounge chairs, their crinoline skirts spread around them like the petals of flowers.

From "Before We Were Free" by Julia Alvarez