tinsel
English
/ˈtɪn.səl/
noun
Definitions
- A shining material used for ornamental purposes; especially, a very thin, gauzelike cloth with much gold or silver woven into it; also, very thin metal overlaid with a thin coating of gold or silver, brass foil, or the like.
- Very thin strips of a glittering, metallic material used as a decoration, and traditionally draped at Christmas time over streamers, paper chains and the branches of Christmas trees.
- Anything shining and gaudy; something superficially shining and showy, or having a false luster, and more pretty than valuable.
Etymology
Derived from Middle French estincelle (spark) derived from Latin scintilla (spark).
Origin
Latin
scintilla
Gloss
spark
Concept
Semantic Field
The physical world
Ontological Category
Person/Thing
Emoji
Timeline
Distribution of cognates by language
Geogrpahic distribution of cognates
Cognates and derived terms
- Tinseltown English
- scintilla English
- tinselly English
- tinselry English
- town English
- *scintilia Latin
- *stincilla Latin
- scintilla Latin
- scintilla Italian
- étinceler French
- étincelle French
- centella Spanish, Castilian
- *ski-nto- Proto-Indo-European
- estancele Old French
- centella Catalan, Valencian
- scânteie Romanian, Moldavian, Moldovan
- tinsyl Manx
- estincelle Middle French
- centella Old Portuguese
- s-ciantixo Venetian