brilliantine
English
Etymology
French
Noun
brilliantine (countable and uncountable, plural brilliantines)
- A hair pomade, making the hair shine brilliantly.
- 1921 "I wouldn't regret it," said Linda, "if I took Eileen by the shoulders and shook her till I shook the rouge off her cheek, and the brilliantine off her hair, and a million mean little subterfuges out of her soul. Gene Stratton-Porter, Her father`s daughter Chapter 4.
- A smooth shiny, luxurious fabric, often of alpaca or vicuña.
- Sunday June 11, 1916 No. 112. Bathing Suit of Brilliantine in Navy Blue and Black, trimmed with white mohair braid and buttons (no bloomers). Special 3.95 — The New York Times, *.pdf
Verb
brilliantine (third-person singular simple present brilliantines, present participle brilliantining, simple past and past participle brilliantined)
- To apply brilliantine to the hair.
- 193, George Orwell, chapter 14, in Down and Out in Paris and London:
- And the waiter, of course, dips his fingers into the gravy—his nasty, greasy fingers which he is for ever running through his brilliantined hair.
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