chiffon

[ shi-fon, shif-on ]
See synonyms for chiffon on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. a sheer fabric of silk, nylon, or rayon in plain weave.

  2. any women's dress ornament, as ribbon or lace.

adjective
  1. (of dresses, scarves, etc.) resembling or made of chiffon.

  2. (in cooking) having a light, frothy texture, as certain pies and cakes containing beaten egg whites.

Origin of chiffon

1
1755–65; <French, equivalent to chiffe rag (<Arabic shiff sheer fabric) + -on noun suffix

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

British Dictionary definitions for chiffon

chiffon

/ (ʃɪˈfɒn, ˈʃɪfɒn) /


noun
  1. a fine transparent or almost transparent plain-weave fabric of silk, nylon, etc

  2. (often plural) rare feminine finery

adjective
  1. made of chiffon

  2. (of soufflés, pies, cakes, etc) having a very light fluffy texture

Origin of chiffon

1
C18: from French, from chiffe rag; probably related to chip

Derived forms of chiffon

  • chiffony, adjective

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012