Word Origin & History
trilby
type of hat, 1897, in allusion to Trilby O'Ferrall, eponymous heroine of the novel by George du Maurier (1834-96), published in 1894. In the stage version of the novel, the character wore this type of soft felt hat. In plural, also slang for "feet" (1895), in allusion to the eroticism attached to the heroine's bare feet.