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Definition of persiflage - 4 dictionary results

per⋅si⋅flage

  [pur-suh-flahzh, pair-]
Use persiflage in a Sentence
–noun
1. light, bantering talk or writing.
2. a frivolous or flippant style of treating a subject.
Origin:
1750–60; < F, deriv. of persifler to banter, equiv. to per- per- + siffler to whistle, hiss < LL sifilāre, for L sībilāre; see sibilant, -age

Synonyms:
1. banter, badinage, jesting.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To persiflage
per·si·flage   (pûr'sə-fläzh')   
n.  
  1. Light good-natured talk; banter.
  2. Light or frivolous manner of discussing a subject.

[French, from persifler, to banter : per-, intensive pref. (from Latin; see per-) + siffler, to whistle (from Old French, from Late Latin sīfilāre, alteration of Latin sībilāre).]
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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Persiflage

Per`si`flage"\, n. [F., fr. persifler to quiz, fr. L. per + siffler to whistle, hiss, L. sibilare, sifilare.] Frivolous or bantering talk; a frivolous manner of treating any subject, whether serious or otherwise; light raillery. --Hannah More.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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persiflage 
1757, from Fr. persiflage, from persifler "to banter," from L. per- "through" + Fr. siffler "to whistle, hiss," from collateral form of L. sibilare "to hiss," possibly of imitative origin.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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