tinsel
Use Tinsel in a sentence
tin·sel
[tin-suh
l] noun, adjective, verb, tin·seled, tin·sel·ing or ( especially British ) tin·selled, tin·sel·ling. noun
1.
a glittering metallic substance, as copper or brass, in thin sheets, used in pieces, strips, threads, etc., to produce a sparkling effect cheaply.
2.
a metallic yarn, usually wrapped around a core yarn of silk, rayon, or cotton, for weaving brocade or lamé.
3.
anything showy or attractive with little or no real worth; showy pretense: The actress was tired of the fantasy and tinsel of her life.
4.
Obsolete. a fabric, formerly in use, of silk or wool interwoven with threads of gold, silver, or, later, copper.
adjective
5.
consisting of or containing tinsel.
6.
showy; gaudy; tawdry.
00:10
Tinsel
is one of our favorite verbs.
So is lollygag. Does it mean:
| to spend time idly; loaf. |
| to swindle, cheat, hoodwink, or hoax. |
verb (used with object)
7.
to adorn with tinsel.
8.
to adorn with anything glittering.
9.
to make showy or gaudy.
Origin:
1495–1505; by aphesis < Middle French estincelle (Old French estincele) a spark, flash < Vulgar Latin *stincilla, metathetic variant of Latin scintilla scintilla; first used attributively in phrases tinsel satin, tinsel cloth
1495–1505; by aphesis < Middle French estincelle (Old French estincele) a spark, flash < Vulgar Latin *stincilla, metathetic variant of Latin scintilla scintilla; first used attributively in phrases tinsel satin, tinsel cloth
Related forms
tin·sel·like, adjective
o·ver·tin·sel, verb (used with object), o·ver·tin·seled, o·ver·tin·sel·ing or ( especially British ) o·ver·tin·selled, o·ver·tin·sel·ling.
un·tin·seled, adjective
un·tin·selled, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source
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Link To tinsel
Collins
World English Dictionary
tinsel (ˈtɪnsəl) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —n | |
| 1. | a decoration consisting of a piece of string with thin strips of metal foil attached along its length |
| 2. | a yarn or fabric interwoven with strands of glittering thread |
| 3. | anything cheap, showy, and gaudy |
| —vb , -sels, -selling, -selled, -sels, -seling, -seled | |
| 4. | to decorate with or as if with tinsel: snow tinsels the trees |
| 5. | to give a gaudy appearance to |
| —adj | |
| 6. | made of or decorated with tinsel |
| 7. | showily but cheaply attractive; gaudy |
| [C16: from Old French estincele a spark, from Latin scintilla; compare | |
| 'tinsel-like | |
| —adj | |
| 'tinselly | |
| —adj | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History
tinsel
c.1448, "a kind of cloth made with interwoven gold or silver thread," from M.Fr. estincelle "spark, spangle" (see stencil). Meaning "very thin sheets or strips of shiny metal" is recorded from 1593. Fig. sense of "anything showy with little real worth" is from 1660, suggested
from at least 1595. First recorded use of Tinseltown for "Hollywood" is from 1975.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Example sentences
Trees that are not completely clean and free of tinsel, ornaments and/or bows will not be picked up.
Please remove the ornaments, tinsel, lights and tree stand.
The trees must not be in any form of plastic bag, and should be reasonably free of tinsel and decorations.
Please be sure trees are free of all ornaments and tinsel.
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