peignoir
Americannoun
-
a woman's dressing gown.
-
a cloak or gown of terry cloth for wear after swimming or, especially in France, after the bath.
noun
Etymology
Origin of peignoir
1825–35; < French: literally, comber, i.e., something worn while one's hair is being combed, equivalent to peign ( er ) to comb (< Late Latin pectināre; see pecten) + -oir < Latin -ōrium -ory 1
Explanation
A peignoir is a fancy, somewhat old fashioned nightgown or lightweight, loose robe. In the old days, women wore peignoirs when they knew they'd be seen in their night clothes. What you might call a housecoat or a dressing gown can also be called a peignoir. The origin of this word is curiously related to a lady's long hair and the time at the end of the day when she would comb or brush it. The Middle French peignouoir means "garment worn over the shoulders while combing the hair," from peigner, "to comb the hair." The Latin root is pecten, "a comb."
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Her copious endnotes made me want to put on a peignoir, strike my forehead dramatically and fall in a dead faint on a chaise longue — all gestures probably owed to Elinor Glyn.
From New York Times • Jul. 26, 2022
To get the right effect, Shelby brought four outfits, plus two lounging ensembles featuring a robe and peignoir.
From Washington Post • Aug. 15, 2019
Another, dressed in an ice-blue peignoir, petted a stuffed lap dog with one hand and preened with the other.
From New York Times • Jan. 24, 2018
Muriel Spark has posed in a fetching peignoir with a sinister black cat draped over her shoulder.
From Time Magazine Archive
The tears came so fast to Mrs. Pontellier’s eyes that the damp sleeve of her peignoir no longer served to dry them.
From "The Awakening" by Kate Chopin
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
