Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- n. A small shiny ornamental disk, often sewn on cloth; a spangle.
- n. A gold coin of the Venetian Republic. Also called zecchino.
- v. To affix sequins to (a garment, for example).
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- n. A gold coin of Venice (Italian zecchino or zecchino d'oro), first minted about 1280, and issued by the doges till the extinction of the Venetian republic. (See zecchino.) It was worth rather more than 9s., about $2.18, and bore on the obverse a representation of St. Mark blessing the banner of the republic held by the doge kneeling, and on the reverse a figure of Christ.
- n. A large basket of the Californian and southwestern Indians, used for storing seeds.
Wiktionary
- n. Any of various small gold coins minted in Italy and Turkey.
- n. A sparkling spangle used for the decoration of ornate clothing.
GNU Webster's 1913
- n. An old gold coin of Italy and Turkey. It was first struck at Venice about the end of the 13th century, and afterward in the other Italian cities, and by the Levant trade was introduced into Turkey. It is worth about 9s. 3d. sterling, or about $2.25. The different kinds vary somewhat in value.
WordNet 3.0
- n. adornment consisting of a small piece of shiny material used to decorate clothing
Etymologies
- French, from Old French, Venetian coin, from Italian zecchino, from zecca, mint, from Arabic sikka, coin die, from sakka, to close, coin; see skk in Semitic roots.
Examples
“The word sequin made him open his ears, and without giving me his opinion of the abolition of that tax upon the French, he pretended I ought to account with him for the others, promising me at the same time equivalent advantages.”
The Confessions of J J Rousseau
“The word sequin made him open his ears, and without giving me his opinion of the abolition of that tax upon the”
“It could have called it a "sequin" or anything else, but it chose to call it a "dollar.”
“Nwt Plus Size 2x Apple Bottoms "sequin" Leggings/pants”
“Nwt Plus Size 3x Apple Bottoms "sequin" Leggings/pants”
“You paired it with jungle red ankle boots and a gold, sequin skully cap.”
The Huffington Post: Rachel Kane: Prom Dresses You're Going to Regret
“But the visual effects, such as the plaid sequin embroidery that faded away on a skirt, proved that couture can be more artistic than ready-to-wear.”
The Wall Street Journal: In Haute Couture, '50s Glamour Meets the Cancan
“Charlie Watts - When band-member Mick Jagger was wearing sequin tights and oversized Uncle Sam hats, the Rolling Stone's drummer was quietly going to Poole and Dege, two of Savile Row's oldest tailors.”
The Huffington Post: Roger Stone: StoneZone's 2011 Best and Worst Dressed
“Be sure to check out the gorgeous Harvey Berin Karen Stark cocktail dress, the 1940s sequin star dress and the vintage 1950s Christian Dior coat.”
The Huffington Post: Mary Kincaid: Weekly Roundup of eBay Vintage Clothing Finds (PHOTOS)
“There are sequin flip-flops to be had, vintage flock tees, and this sexy Saints body suit $34.99 that I found myself instantly coveting.”
The Huffington Post: Shaneika Dabney: The NFL Finally Shows Lady Fans Some Love
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘sequin’.
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Of Arabic Origin
Arabic loanwords in English are words acquired directly from Arabic or else indirectly by passing from Arabic into other languages and then into English. Most entered one or more of the Romance lan...
admiral, adobe, albatross, alchemy, alcohol, alcove, alembic, alfalfa, algebra, algorism, algorithm, alidade and 181 more...
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Words from Goethe's Italian Journey
melic, ostler, brazier, tenterhooks, pannier, cortege, bier, pall, cloister, biretta, tonsured, lazzarone and 27 more...
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A Time of Gifts
lambent, gonfalon, ait, eyrie, haberdashery, belfry, capstan, spinney, barbican, hobnail, wharf, waterlogged and 64 more...
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• The bonhomous lynchpin - And other words from...
plinth, starboard, bonhomie, bulkhead, brethren, gabardine, anon, lynchpin, vine, yoke, sequin, marigold and 12 more...
chained_bear For usage of the word in the sense of "coin," see johannes. Mar 4, 2008
fbharjo Arabic from sakka, to close, coin Jan 22, 2008