Balmoral

American  

[bal-mawr-uhl, -mor-uhl] / bælˈmɔr əl, -ˈmɒr əl /

noun

1. a colored woolen petticoat, formerly worn under a skirt and draped so that portions of it could be seen.

2. Also called bal.  (lowercase) an ankle-high shoe, laced in front.

3. a brimless Scottish cap with a flat top that projects all around the head.

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Balmoral ¹ British  

/ bælˈmɒrəl /

noun

1. a laced walking shoe

2. a 19th-century woollen petticoat, worn showing below the skirt

3. Also called: bluebonnet.  a Scottish brimless hat traditionally of dark blue wool with a cockade and plume on one side

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Balmoral ² British  

/ bælˈmɒrəl /

noun

1. a castle in NE Scotland, in SW Aberdeenshire: a private residence of the British sovereign

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Etymology

Origin of Balmoral

First recorded in 1855–60; after Balmoral Castle in Scotland

Example Sentences

A black and white photograph taken in 1953, shows the late Queen sitting on a bench with the King and his sister Anne, now the Princess Royal, at Balmoral, Scotland.

From BBC • Mar. 15, 2026

Its influence on contemporary designers is huge, says exhibition curator Caroline de Guitaut, noting luxury Italian brand Miu Miu's 2024 Balmoral collection, which reimagined the Queen's tartan kilts.

From BBC • Dec. 26, 2025

The message, sent to Maxwell on 16 August 2001, begins: "I am up here at Balmoral Summer Camp for the Royal Family."

From BBC • Dec. 23, 2025

The press started reporting that thousands of people in London were bringing flowers to Kensington Palace but that the Royal Family had remained up in Balmoral and were not responding.

From BBC • Nov. 30, 2025

Craig Castle is a small castle—I mean, compared to Edinburgh or Stirling Castles; or Balmoral, where the King lives in the summer; or Glamis, where the Queen’s family lives.

From "Code Name Verity" by Elizabeth Wein