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furbelow

 - 2 dictionary results

fur⋅be⋅low

[fur-buh-loh]
–noun
1. a ruffle or flounce, as on a woman's skirt or petticoat.
2. any bit of showy trimming or finery.
–verb (used with object)
3. to ornament with or as if with furbelows.

Origin:
1670–80; var. of falbala
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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fur·be·low   (fûr'bə-lō')   
n.  
  1. A ruffle or flounce on a garment.

  2. A piece of showy ornamentation.

tr.v.   fur·be·lowed, fur·be·low·ing, fur·be·lows
To decorate with a ruffle or flounce.

[Probably alteration of Provençal farbello, farbella, fringe, perhaps alteration of Italian faldella, pleat, diminutive of falda, flap, loose end, of Germanic origin; see pel-2 in Indo-European roots.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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