furbelow means A frill, flounce, or ruffle, as on clothing; a decorative piece of fabric, especially one gathered or pleated as into a ruffle, etc. It carries an Arena rating of 1655, earned across 52 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, furbelow ranks #241 of 17,140 for Most Whimsical Words, #289 of 17,163 for Funniest Words, #377 of 17,126 for Most Satisfying to Say, #1,543 of 17,130 for Most Beautiful Words.
furbelow is pronounced /ˈfəː.bɪ.ləʊ/.
Why “furbelow” is a great word
FURBELOW — [Noun] A decorative frill, flounce, or ruffle, especially on a garment, often implying ostentatious ornamentation. From a corruption of the earlier English word 'falbala', itself from French dialect 'farbella' or Provençal 'farbello', meaning a fringe or flounce; first attested in the late 1600s. Unlike a "frill," which suggests a simpler, demure edging, or a "flounce," which implies a specific, bouncy construction of gathered fabric, a furbelow is extravagance for its own sake. It is the frothy cascade of lace at a Restoration cuff, the stiffened silk tiers on a Georgian gown, and the absurd yet glorious accumulation of ribbons on a hat—an architecture of pure, joyous surplus in a world that often demands stark utility.
Etymology
Corruption of falbala; first attested in the late 1600s or early 1700s. Not related to fur.
noun
- A frill, flounce, or ruffle, as on clothing; a decorative piece of fabric, especially one gathered or pleated as into a ruffle, etc.
- A small, showy ornamentation.e.g.“Within, among the bric-a-brac and furbelows, he found Miss Painter seated in a redundant purple armchair with the incongruous air of a horseman bestriding a heavy mount.” — 1912, Edith Wharton, The Reef, New York, N.Y.: D[aniel] Appleton and Company:
verb
- To adorn with a furbelow; to ornament.
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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