Standard Lemma guide

farthingale

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈfɑːðɪŋɡeɪl/
  • General-American: /ˈfɑɹðɪŋɡeɪl/
  • CMU ARPABET: F AA1 R DH IH0 NG G EY2 L Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A hooped structure in cloth worn to extend the skirt of women's dresses; a hooped petticoat.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: historical

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: hoop skirt

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

a hoop worn beneath a skirt to extend it horizontally; worn by European women in the 16th and 17th centuries

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: hoop

History

Etymology

Hobson-Jobson of earlier forms vardingale, etc., borrowed from Middle French verdugale, from Spanish verdugado, from verdugo (“rod”).

Across languages

Translations

4 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: кринолин (krinolin) — hooped structure
  • Finnish: krinoliini — hooped structure
  • French: crinoline — hooped structure
  • Swedish: krinolin — hooped structure