chignon

[ sheen-yon, sheen-yuhn; French shee-nyawn ]

noun

, plural chi·gnons [sheen, -yonz, sheen-, yuhnz, shee-, nyawn].

1. a large, smooth twist, roll, or knot of hair, worn by women at the nape of the neck or the back of the head.

chignon

/ ʃiɲɔ̃; ˈʃiːnjɒn /

noun

1. an arrangement of long hair in a roll or knot at the back of the head

Derived Forms

• ˈchignoned, adjective

Other Words From

• chignoned adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of chignon¹

1775–85; < French: nape, roll of hair at nape, blend of Middle French chaignon (variant of chainon link, equivalent to chaine chain + -on noun suffix) and tignon twist of hair ( tigne (< Latin tinea worm) + -on noun suffix)

Word History and Origins

Origin of chignon¹

C18: from French, from Old French chaignon link, from chaine chain ; influenced also by Old French tignon coil of hair, from tigne, moth, from Latin tinea moth

Example Sentences

He also throws in an allusion to Hitchcock’s “Vertigo” — cue the blond chignon — that does his movie no favors.

From New York Times

The women’s cheeks are stained with blush, their hair in chignons.

From New York Times

She wore a flowing, bright yellow dress, and her blonde hair was perfectly coiffed in a thick chignon.

From Literature

Delicate of frame and strong of stamina, with thick eyeglasses and long corn-silk hair pulled into a chignon, she resembled an unlikely hybrid of the poet Marianne Moore and the golden-age movie star Loretta Young.

From New York Times

Her blond hair was usually ironed straight or pulled back into a messy chignon.

From Los Angeles Times