noun · verb · 17 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
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
UK, US:/fɛsˈtuːn/
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
Australia:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
rhymes with -uːn
CMU ARPABET:F EH2 S T UW1 N
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
An ornament such as a garland or chain which hangs loosely from two tacked spots.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
A bas-relief, painting, or structural motif resembling such an ornament.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: architecture
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
A raised cable with light globes attached.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
A cloud on Jupiter that hangs out of its home belt or zone into an adjacent area forming a curved finger-like image or a complete loop back to its home belt or zone.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: astronomy, natural-sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
noun
Meaning 5
Any of a series of wrinkles on the backs of some ticks.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
6
noun
Meaning 6
A specific style of electric light bulb consisting of a cylindrical enclosure with two points of contact on either end providing power to the filament or diode.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
7
noun
Meaning 7
Two sets of rollers used to create a buffer of material on web handling equipment.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: business, manufacturing
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
8
noun
Meaning 8
Any of various papilionid butterflies of the genus Zerynthia.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
9
noun
Meaning 9
Texturing applied to a denture to simulate human tissue.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: dentistry, medicine, sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
10
verb
Meaning 10
To decorate as if with ornaments, such as garlands or chains, which hang loosely from two tacked spots.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
11
verb
Meaning 11
To make festoons.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
12
verb
Meaning 12
To decorate or bedeck abundantly.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
He was bewildered by how the car was festooned with polka dots.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
13
verb
Meaning 13
To apply texturing to (a denture) to simulate human tissue.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
Topics: dentistry, medicine, sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
14
noun
Meaning 14
flower chains suspended in curves between points as a decoration
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: festoonery
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: flower chain
15
noun
Meaning 15
an embellishment consisting of a decorative representation of a string of flowers suspended between two points; used on pottery or in architectural work
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: embellishment
16
noun
Meaning 16
a curtain of fabric draped and bound at intervals to form graceful curves
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *dheh1- Proto-Indo-European *-s Proto-Indo-European *dhéh1s Proto-Indo-European *dheh1stosder. Proto-Italic *θēstos Proto-Italic *fēstosder. Latin fēstus Latin fēsta Late Latin fēsta Italian festa Proto-Indo-European *-ōder. Proto-Indo-European *-Hōder.? Latin -ōnem Italian -one Italian festonebor. French festonbor. English festoon Borrowed from French feston.
Across languages
Translations
63 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Afrikaans:
festoen
— ornament which hangs loosely from two tacked spots
Bulgarian:
гирлянда
(girljanda)
— ornament which hangs loosely from two tacked spots
Czech:
girlanda
— ornament which hangs loosely from two tacked spots
Danish:
guirlande
— ornament which hangs loosely from two tacked spots
Dutch:
festoen
— ornament which hangs loosely from two tacked spots
Esperanto:
festono
— ornament which hangs loosely from two tacked spots
Finnish:
koristeköynnös
— ornament which hangs loosely from two tacked spots
French:
feston
— ornament which hangs loosely from two tacked spots
French:
guirlande
— ornament which hangs loosely from two tacked spots
Galician:
festón
— ornament which hangs loosely from two tacked spots
German:
Feston
— ornament which hangs loosely from two tacked spots
German:
Girlande
— ornament which hangs loosely from two tacked spots
Icelandic:
blómsveigur
— ornament which hangs loosely from two tacked spots
Italian:
ghirlanda
— ornament which hangs loosely from two tacked spots
Portuguese:
guirlanda
— ornament which hangs loosely from two tacked spots
Romanian:
feston
— ornament which hangs loosely from two tacked spots
Russian:
гирля́нда
(girljánda)
— ornament which hangs loosely from two tacked spots
Spanish:
guirnalda
— ornament which hangs loosely from two tacked spots
Swedish:
girlang
— ornament which hangs loosely from two tacked spots
Swedish:
festong
— ornament which hangs loosely from two tacked spots
Bulgarian:
фестон
(feston)
— architecture: bas-relief, painting, or structural motif resembling a festoon
Danish:
feston
— architecture: bas-relief, painting, or structural motif resembling a festoon
Dutch:
festoen
— architecture: bas-relief, painting, or structural motif resembling a festoon
Dutch:
lofwerk
— architecture: bas-relief, painting, or structural motif resembling a festoon
French:
feston
— architecture: bas-relief, painting, or structural motif resembling a festoon
French:
guirlande
— architecture: bas-relief, painting, or structural motif resembling a festoon
German:
Feston
— architecture: bas-relief, painting, or structural motif resembling a festoon
Italian:
festone
— architecture: bas-relief, painting, or structural motif resembling a festoon
Polish:
feston
— architecture: bas-relief, painting, or structural motif resembling a festoon
Portuguese:
festão
— architecture: bas-relief, painting, or structural motif resembling a festoon
Russian:
фестон
(feston)
— architecture: bas-relief, painting, or structural motif resembling a festoon
Spanish:
festón
— architecture: bas-relief, painting, or structural motif resembling a festoon
Swedish:
festong
— architecture: bas-relief, painting, or structural motif resembling a festoon
Swedish:
girlang
— architecture: bas-relief, painting, or structural motif resembling a festoon
Tagalog:
peston
— architecture: bas-relief, painting, or structural motif resembling a festoon
Ukrainian:
фесто́н
(festón)
— architecture: bas-relief, painting, or structural motif resembling a festoon
Ukrainian:
гірля́нда
(hirljánda)
— architecture: bas-relief, painting, or structural motif resembling a festoon
Danish:
lyskæde
— cable with light globes attached
Finnish:
valoketju
— cable with light globes attached
French:
guirlande lumineuse
— cable with light globes attached
German:
Lichterkette
— cable with light globes attached
Spanish:
guirnalda luminosa
— cable with light globes attached
Swedish:
ljusslinga
— cable with light globes attached
Finnish:
silta
— astronomy: cloud formation on Jupiter
Catalan:
engarlandar
— to hang ornaments which hang loosely from two tacked spots
Czech:
ověšet
— to hang ornaments which hang loosely from two tacked spots
Czech:
ozdobit
— to hang ornaments which hang loosely from two tacked spots
Finnish:
koristaa köynnöksin
— to hang ornaments which hang loosely from two tacked spots
French:
enguirlander
— to hang ornaments which hang loosely from two tacked spots
Italian:
inghirlandare
— to hang ornaments which hang loosely from two tacked spots
Māori:
tākeke
— to hang ornaments which hang loosely from two tacked spots
Portuguese:
festoar
— to hang ornaments which hang loosely from two tacked spots
Portuguese:
afestoar
— to hang ornaments which hang loosely from two tacked spots
Portuguese:
festonar
— to hang ornaments which hang loosely from two tacked spots
Romanian:
festona
— to hang ornaments which hang loosely from two tacked spots
Russian:
украша́ть гирляндами
(ukrašátʹ girljandami)
— to hang ornaments which hang loosely from two tacked spots
Russian:
украша́ть фестонами
(ukrašátʹ festonami)
— to hang ornaments which hang loosely from two tacked spots
Spanish:
enguirnaldar
— to hang ornaments which hang loosely from two tacked spots
Spanish:
engalanar
— to hang ornaments which hang loosely from two tacked spots
