trilby
pronunciation
How to pronounce trilby in British English:
UK [ˈtrɪlbi]
How to pronounce trilby in American English:
US [ ˈtrɪlbi]
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- Noun:
- felt hat with a creased crown
Word Origin
- trilby
- trilby: [19] The word trilby commemorates the name of Trilby O’Ferrall, the eponymous heroine of George du Maurier’s novel Trilby 1894. She was an artist’s model in Paris who fell under the spell of Svengali. In the stage version of the book the character Trilby wore a soft felt hat with an indented top, and the style soon became fashionable. The novel also dwells on the erotic qualities of Trilby’s feet, and for a while in the early 20th century trilbies was used as a slang term for ‘feet’.
- trilby (n.)
- type of hat, 1897, from name of Trilby O'Ferrall, eponymous heroine of the novel by George du Maurier (1834-1896), 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 reference to the eroticism attached in the novel to the heroine's bare feet. Related: Trilbies.
Example
- 1. And though gas prices generally rise as the summer approaches and more people take to the road , don 't expect the kind of rapid hikes seen last year , said publisher trilby lundberg .