tinsel
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tinsel¹
- /ˈtɪns(ə)l/ UK, Scotland
- /ˈtɪnsəl/ US
Rhymes with -ɪnsəl
Where it comes from
The noun is derived from Middle English tinsel (“cloth containing gold or silver thread”) [and other forms], probably from Anglo-Norman tincel, tincelle, tencele, and then:
* from Old French estincelle, estencele (“a spark”) (modern French étincelle), from Vulgar Latin *stincilla, a metathesis of Latin scintilla (“a glimmer; a spark”), probably from Proto-Indo-European *(s)ḱeh₁y- (“to shimmer, shine”); and
* from Old French estincelé, the past participle of estinceler, estenceler (“to produce sparks”) (modern French étinceler (“to sparkle, twinkle; (archaic) to produce sparks”)), from Vulgar Latin *stincillāre, a metathesis of Latin scintillāre, the present active infinitive of scintillō (“to scintillate, sparkle”), from scintilla (“a glimmer; a spark”) (see above) + -ō (suffix forming regular first-conjugation verbs).
The English word is a doublet of scintilla, scintillate, and stencil.
The adjective is from an attributive use of the noun; while the verb is derived from the noun.
noun tinsels
-
A silk or wool fabric with gold or silver thread woven into it; brocade.
Firſt, the hethermoſt, in the changeable blew, and greene robe, is the commendably-faſhioned gallant, Evcosmos; […] The fourth, in watchet tinſell, is the kind, and truly benefique, Evcolos.
Similar: baldacchin
- A very thin, gauzelike cloth with gold or silver (or, later, copper) thread woven into it, or overlaid with thin metal plates. I know in that more ſubtil Air of yours Tinſel ſometimes paſſes for Tiſſue, Venice Beads for Pearl, and Demicaſters for Bevers; But I know you have ſo diſcerning a Judgment, that you will not ſuffer your ſelf to be ſo cheated, […]
- A thin, shiny foil for ornamental purposes which is of a material made of metal or resembling metal; especially, narrow glittering strips of such a material, often strung on to thread, and traditionally at Christmastime draped on Christmas trees, hung from balustrades or ceilings, or wrapped around objects as a decoration. O! it is divine and moſt admirable, and ſo farre beyond all that ever he publiſhed heretofore, as day-light beyond candle-light, or tinſell or leafe-gold above arſedine; […]
- Anything shining and gaudy; especially something superficially shiny and showy, or having a false lustre, and more pretty than valuable. Her garments all were wrought of beaten gold, / And all her ſteed with tinſell trappings ſhone, / Which fledd ſo faſt, that nothing mote him hold, / And ſcarſe them leaſure gaue, her paſſing to behold.
adjective
- Of fabric: ornamented by being woven with gold or silver thread, or overlaid with thin metal plates; brocaded. Liſten and appeare to us / In the name of great Oceanus, / […] / By Leucothea’s lovely hands, / And her ſon that rules the ſtrands, / By Thetis tinſel-ſlipper’d feet; […]
- Glittering. Baſes and tinſel Trappings, gorgious Knights / At Jouſt and Touneament; then marſhal'd Feaſt / Serv'd up in Hall with Sewers, and Seneſhals; […]
- Apparently beautiful and costly but having little value; superficially attractive; gaudy, showy, tawdry. Went to that magnificent Temple of Thalia, the New Olympic, and saw the bewitchingest Pauline, in the person of Winifred Emery, that ever I saw in the shammiest, stagiest, tawdriest, tinsellest, transparentest, most diaphanously theatrical comedy I ever saw in the absolute period of my Thespian exis
verb tinsels · tinseling · tinselling · tinseled · tinselled
- To ornament (fabric, etc.) by weaving into it thread of gold, silver, or some other shiny material. Hir daintie lims tinſill hir ſilke ſoft ſheets, / Hir roſe-crownd cheekes eclipſe my dazeled ſight, […]
- To deck out (a place or something) with showy but cheap ornaments; to make gaudy. She, tinſel'd o'er in robes of varying hues, / With ſelf-applauſe her wild creation views, / Sees momentary monſters riſe and fall, / And with her own fools-colours gilds them all.
- To give (something) a false or superficial attractiveness. I could tell them vague tales of their poetry, and cruel wars: but it seemed distant and tinselled an age.
tinsel²
- /ˈtɪns(ə)l/ UK, Scotland
- /ˈtɪnsəl/ US
Rhymes with -ɪnsəl
Where it comes from
The noun is derived from Middle English tinsel (“destruction, loss; damnation, spiritual loss; state of damnation”) [and other forms], probably from Old Norse *týnsla (modern Norwegian tynsla (“damage, destruction”)), from týna (“to destroy; to lose; to perish”) (whence Middle English tinen (“to be deprived of, lose; to fail to maintain; to forfeit; to lose track of; to mislay; to be separated from; to escape; to be defeated or forced to withdraw; to waste; to consume, use up; to be destroyed, perish; to damn; to remove, take”)) + -sla (suffix forming nouns from verbs, either denoting the action of the verb or the medium or product of the action). Týna is derived from tjón (“damage; loss”), from Proto-Germanic *teuną (“damage; destruction, ruin; lack”); further etymology uncertain, possibly from Proto-Indo-European *duH- (“to torment, vex”) or *deh₂w- (“to burn”).
The verb is derived from the noun.
noun
- Damage, detriment; loss.
- Deprivation; forfeiture.
verb tinsels · tinselling · tinselled
-
To cause (someone) damage or loss; also, to impose a fine on (someone); to mulct.
Similar: endamage
Translations
Every language
noun very thin decorative strips of a glittering, metallic material, often strung on to thread
| Español | espumillón, oropel |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 장식용 금속 조각 jangsigyong geumsok jogak |
| 日本語 | ティンセル tinseru, 金属糸 kinzoku ito |
| 中文 | 彩條 /彩条 cǎitiáo |
| Português | ouropel |
| Français | clinquant, guirlande |
| Deutsch | Flittergold, Lametta, Rauschgold, Rauschsilber |
| Italiano | orpello |
| Română | beteală |
| Русский | мишура́ mišurá, блёстки bljóstki |
Talk about this word "tinsel." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/tinsel. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. tinsel. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/tinsel "tinsel." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/tinsel.Cite this
@misc{tinsel_2026,
title = {tinsel},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/tinsel},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
