frill

[ fril ]

noun

1. a trimming, as a strip of cloth or lace, gathered at one edge and left loose at the other; ruffle.
2. something resembling such a trimming, as the fringe of hair on the chest of some dogs.
3. affectation of manner, style, etc.
4. something superfluous.
5. Photography. wrinkling or loosening of an emulsion at the edges, usually due to excessively high temperature during developing.

verb (used with object)

1. to trim or ornament with a frill or frills.
2. to form into a frill.

verb (used without object)

1. Photography. (of an emulsion) to become wrinkled or loose.

frill

/ frɪl /

noun

1. a gathered, ruched, or pleated strip of cloth sewn on at one edge only, as on garments, as ornament, or to give extra body
2. a ruff of hair or feathers around the neck of a dog or bird or a fold of skin around the neck of a reptile or amphibian
3. often capital a variety of domestic fancy pigeon having a ruff of curled feathers on the chest and crop Full nameoriental frill
4. photog a wrinkling or loosening of the emulsion at the edges of a negative or print
5. informal.
   often plural a superfluous or pretentious thing or manner; affectation

   he made a plain speech with no frills

verb

1. tr to adorn or fit with a frill or frills
2. to form into a frill or frills
3. intr photog (of an emulsion) to develop a frill

Derived Forms

• ˈfrilliness, noun
• ˈfrilly, adjective

Other Words From

• friller noun
• un·frill verb (used with object)

Word History and Origins

Origin of frill¹

First recorded in 1585–95; origin uncertain

Word History and Origins

Origin of frill¹

C14: perhaps of Flemish origin

Example Sentences

The subject doesn’t require a lot of rhetorical frill to have its effect.

From Slate

The huge plant-eater boasted a splendid frill on its head, topped with spikes and two large horns which curved downwards like blades.

From Science Magazine

The ceratopsids vary mostly in their frill patterns and not so much in feeding adaptations, he says: “Their jaws and teeth are more or less built the same way.”

From Science Magazine

And its frill was unlike any described so far: Not only did it sport two large, curved horns, it also boasted two spikes in the middle, one longer than the other.

From Science Magazine

The newest — described on Thursday by a team of researchers in the journal PeerJ — is Lokiceratops rangiformis, a five-ton herbivore with spectacular, curving brow horns and huge, bladed spikes on its meter-long frill.

From New York Times