periwig
verbEtymology Alteration of Middle French perruque. Doublet of peruke.
1
To dress with a periwig, or with false hair; to bewig.
- Discord periwigg'd with snakes1736, Jonathan Swift, The Legion Club:
periwig
noun/ˈpɛɹɪwɪɡ/
Etymology Alteration of Middle French perruque. Doublet of peruke.
1
Historical A wig, especially any kind of stylised wig as formerly worn by men and women.
- O, it offends me to the soul to hear a robustious periwig-pated fellow tear a passion to tatters, to very rags, to split the ears of the groundling […]c. 1599–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene ii]:
- Methinks she makes almost as fair a sign / As some old gentlewoman in a periwig.1607, Cyril Tourneur, The Revenger’s Tragedy:
4 more examples
- [T]he sun Grown stale, is to so low a value run, That his dishevel'd beams and scattered fires Serve but for ladies' periwigs and tyres In lovers' sonnets […]1633, John Donne, To the Countess of Salisbury, ll 4-7:
- The floods in icie fetters bound. Crusted earth. Every honey-headed twig Wears his snowie Periwig, And every bough his snowy beard.1657, Josua Poole, The English Parnassus, vide "Frost"
- From her own Head, Megwra takes A Perriwig of twisted Snakes; Which in the nicest Fashion curl'd, Like Toupets of this upper World […]1730, Jonathan Swift, “Death And Daphne,”, in Some Verse Pieces:
- [O]ur impetuous youth hearing himself reviled with the appellation of scoundrel, pulled off his antagonist's periwig, and flung it in his face.1751, [Tobias] Smollett, The Adventures of Peregrine Pickle […], volume (please specify |volume=I to IV), London: Harrison and Co., […], →OCLC:
- Derived terms
- tie periwig, wig