persiflage

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She was not in a mood for airy persiflage, as he soon discovered.

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Definitions (5)

Toggle American Heritage definitions American Heritage Dictionary (2)

  1. noun Light good-natured talk; banter.
  2. noun Light or frivolous manner of discussing a subject.

Toggle Century definitions Century Dictionary (1)

Toggle GNU Webster definitions GNU Webster's 1913 (1)

Toggle WordNet definitions WordNet (1)

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Examples (50)

  • The masterly persiflage, too, filled me with admiration and I declared that the lecture ranked with the best ever heard in London with Coleridge's on Shakespeare and Carlyle's on Heroes. —  Oscar Wilde, His Life and Confessions
  • Within a few lines of pursy persiflage, they managed to dismiss Sarah Palin, John McCain and the Republican Presidential chances in 2008. —  Latest Articles
  • What the cutting logic and persiflage--the sourire hideux_--of Voltaire had done in France, Paine, with coarser materials, essayed to do for the English-speaking populations. —  Brief History of English and American Literature
  • "Nice place here; wouldn't you like to trade it for my fine sea-going yacht in the harbor The captain grew red in the face at this piece of persiflage, and under the stress of excitement he swallowed his quid of tobacco and likewise his wrath, at Jim's coolness Waal, son, that's extra kind of you, ain't it, boys?" —  Frontier Boys in Frisco
  • She had recovered from the effects of her husband's persiflage, and as we walked along she gave me her confidence. —  Analytical Studies
 

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This word has been looked up 191 times.

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Etymologies (2)

Toggle American Heritage etymologies American Heritage Dictionary (1)

  1. French, from persifler, to banter : per-, intensive pref. (from Latin; see per-) + siffler, to whistle (from Old French, from Late Latin sīfilāre, alteration of Latin sībilāre).

Toggle Century etymologies Century Dictionary (1)

  1. French, from persifler, banter, quiz, from Latin per, through, + French siffler, hiss, whistle, from Latin sibilare, sifilare, hiss: see sibilant.
 

Pronunciations
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/ˈ pɛrsɪflɑzh/
by American Heritage

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