Frillies

/ˈfrɪliz/ noun

Definition

Plural of frilly; things that are frilly, flouncy, or elaborately decorated; sometimes used informally for women's delicate or decorative undergarments.

Etymology

Plural of 'frilly' used as a noun, or derived from 'frill' + '-ies' suffix. The informal sense for undergarments is 20th-century British slang.

Kelly Says

The word shows how slang often takes adjectives and turns them into nouns—'frillies' for fancy underwear is whimsical and humorous, the kind of colloquial term that lives in speech but rarely appears in formal writing, making it almost invisible to language history.

Related Words

Explore More Words

Get the Word Orb API

Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.