A plural form related to 'cire,' a type of silk fabric with a waxed finish that creates a lustrous, sometimes icy appearance.
From French ciré (waxed), derived from cire (wax). The finish is created by applying heat and pressure to give the fabric its distinctive sheen.
Cire fabric was hugely popular in the 1960s for evening wear because light bounces off the waxed surface like ice—it's so slippery that dancers had to be careful not to slide off the stage.
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