blonde

[ blond ]

adjective

1. (of a woman or girl) having fair hair and usually fair skin and light eyes.

noun

1. a woman or girl having this coloration.

blonde

/ blɒnd /

adjective

1. (of women's hair) of a light colour; fair
2. (of a person, people or a race) having fair hair, a light complexion, and, typically, blue or grey eyes
3. (of soft furnishings, wood, etc) light in colour

noun

1. a person, esp a woman, having light-coloured hair and skin
2. Also calledblonde lace a French pillow lace, originally of unbleached cream-coloured Chinese silk, later of bleached or black-dyed silk

Spelling Note

The spelling blonde is still widely used for the noun that specifies a woman or girl with fair hair: The blonde with the baby in her arms is my anthropology professor. Some people object to this as an unnecessary distinction, preferring blond for all people: My sister is thinking of becoming a blond for a while. As an adjective, the word is more usually spelled blond in reference to all people ( an energetic blond girl; two blond sons ), although the form blonde is occasionally still used of a female: the blonde model and her escort. The spelling blond is almost always used for the adjective describing hair, complexion, etc.: His daughter has blond hair and hazel eyes.

Derived Forms

• ˈblondeness, noun

Other Words From

• blondeness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of blonde¹

blond

Word History and Origins

Origin of blonde¹

C15: from Old French blond (fem blonde ), probably of Germanic origin; related to Late Latin blundus yellow, Italian biondo , Spanish blondo

Related Words

• blond