n. 1. A coarse stiff fabric, originally of cotton and horsehair, used especially to line and stiffen hats and garments. 2. A petticoat made of this fabric. 3. A hoop skirt. [French, from Italian crinolino : crino, horsehair (from Latin crīnis, hair; see sker-2 in the Appendix of Indo-European roots) + lino, flax (from Latin līnum; see lno- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots).] crino·line, crino·lined (-lĭnd) adj. |
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