furbelow

noun

fur·​be·​low ˈfər-bə-ˌlō How to pronounce furbelow (audio)
1
: a pleated or gathered piece of material
especially : a flounce on women's clothing
2
: something that suggests a furbelow especially in being showy or superfluous
furbelow transitive verb

Examples of furbelow in a Sentence

she opted for a simple wedding dress that did without all the frills and furbelows
Recent Examples on the Web Oddly, for such a modernizer, Michele’s taste tends toward the baroque, or even the rococo—the man has seemingly never encountered a frill or furbelow that displeased him—and his collections are littered with vintage references. Maya Singer, Vogue, 11 Aug. 2022 Porsche's design department clearly had fun with this model, reaching deep into the brand's endless reservoir of badges and colors, frills and furbelows. Jens Meiners, Car and Driver, 1 June 2020

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'furbelow.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

by folk etymology from French dialect farbella

First Known Use

1702, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of furbelow was in 1702

Dictionary Entries Near furbelow

Cite this Entry

“Furbelow.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/furbelow. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

furbelow

noun
fur·​be·​low ˈfər-bə-ˌlō How to pronounce furbelow (audio)
1
2
: something suggesting a furbelow
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