Liberal Dictionary English Dictionary
peruke [puh-rook] ExamplesWord Origin noun
- a man’s wig of the 17th and 18th centuries, usually powdered and gathered at the back of the neck with a ribbon; periwig.
Origin of peruke First recorded in 1540–50, peruke is from the Middle French word perruque head of hair, wig, of disputed orig.Related formspe·ruked, adjectivepe·ruke·less, adjectiveun·pe·ruked, adjective Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019 Related Words for perukes hairpiece, toupee, rug, periwig, peruke, postiche Examples from the Web for perukes Historical Examples of perukes
To be a gentleman was a matter of silk breeches and perukes and late hours?
Harold Frederic
Wigs, perukes, or periwigs, were revived in the seventeenth century.
Popular Technology, Vol. I (of 2)
Edward Hazen
Cards and tables do offend him, and perukes do fall within the compass of his theme.
Calamities and Quarrels of Authors
Isaac Disraeli
The divine was a man who placed charity above rubrics, and discarded bigotry as he did perukes.
Their Majesties’ Servants (Volume 1 of 3)
John Doran
Mrs. Archer went softly up to the maker of perukes, and whispered something in his ear.
Susanna Moodie
British Dictionary definitions for perukes peruke noun
- a type of wig for men, fashionable in the 17th and 18th centuriesAlso called: periwig
Word Origin for peruke C16: from French perruque, from Italian perrucca wig, of obscure origin Collins English Dictionary – Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012 Word Origin and History for perukes peruke n.
1540s, “natural head of hair,” from Middle French perruque (late 15c.), from Italian perrucca “head of hair, wig,” of uncertain origin; supposed by some to be connected to Latin pilus “hair,” “but the phonetic difficulties are considerable” [OED]. Meaning “artificial head of hair, periwig” is attested from 1560s.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
