tiffany

¹ American  

[tif-uh-nee] / ˈtɪf ə ni /

noun

plural

tiffanies

1. a sheer, mesh fabric constructed in plain weave, originally made of silk but now often made of cotton or synthetic fibers.

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Tiffany ² American  

[tif-uh-nee] / ˈtɪf ə ni /

noun

1. Charles Lewis, 1812–1902, U.S. jeweler.

2. his son Louis Comfort 1848–1933, U.S. painter and decorator, especially of glass.

3. a female given name.

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Tiffany ¹ British  

/ ˈtifənɪ /

noun

1. Louis Comfort. 1848–1933, US glass-maker and Art-Nouveau craftsman, best known for creating the Favrile style of stained glass

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Tiffany ² British  

noun

1. another name for Chantilly

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tiffany ³ British  

/ ˈtɪfənɪ /

noun

1. a sheer fine gauzy fabric

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Etymology

Origin of tiffany

1250–1300; 1595–1605 for current sense; perhaps punning use of the earlier word, Middle English: feast of the Epiphany < Old French tiphanie Epiphany < Late Latin theophania. See theophany

Example Sentences

Whoppers that are as tiffany as Anne Valérie Hash's Spring/Summer collection of 2009.

From The Guardian • Oct. 3, 2012

The dictionary says "tiffany" means a thin muslin gauze.

From Time Magazine Archive

She went on to sing as she went, "Green as grass is my kirtle," "Tire me in tiffany," "Come ye bearded men-at-arms," and "The Bending Rush."

From The Splendid Spur by Quiller-Couch, Arthur Thomas, Sir

The same year she bought hers in London, Governor Berkeley paid half a pound for a tiffany whisk in Virginia.

From Two Centuries of Costume in America, Volume 1 (1620-1820) by Earle, Alice Morse

After the seeds are sown, cover them with light tiffany shading, fir branches, or heather, but the first is best, as it is easily removed to attend to the bed.

From Trees and Shrubs for English Gardens by Cook, Ernest Thomas

Related Words

• chiffon
• gauzy
• lacy
• pure
• translucent