Wordwyrt

frippery

Meaninga fripier, or broker

Common meaning: showy or unnecessary finery

Journey through time

  1. Old Frenchfriperie‘a fripier, or broker’source
  2. Middle Frenchmeaning shiftsa fripier, or broker → old-clothes trade or shopfriperie‘old-clothes trade or shop’source
  3. Englishmeaning shiftsold-clothes trade or shop → showy or unnecessary fineryfrippery‘showy or unnecessary finery’ · today

Sources & notes

Meaning: “Meaning” is the sense that emerges from the word’s roots; “Common meaning” is today’s everyday sense. Both written by us.

Pronunciation

  • UK IPA: not available. Respelling: generated.
  • US IPA: not available. Respelling: generated.

Origin: Built on Old French friperie ‘a fripier, or broker’.

Did you know: our wording, based on Skeat, Etymological Dictionary (1898), entry FRIPPERY, p. 220 · dictionary scan

Roots

  • friperie Old French “a fripier, or broker”

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