fustian

== English == === Etymology === The noun is derived from Middle English fustian (“type of fabric, probably made from cotton, flax, or wool; piece of fustian spread over a bed or mattress”) [and other forms], from Old French fustaine, fustaigne (modern French futaine), from Medieval Latin fūstāneum, from (pannus) fūstāneus or (tela) fūstānea, of disputed origin. Sense 3 (“inflated, pompous, or pretentious speech or writing”) is possibly from the fact that the fabric was sometimes used to make cushion- and pillowcases, thus suggesting that the speech or writing is “padded” or “stuffed”; compare bombast. The relationship between sense 4 (“hot drink made of a mixture of alcoholic beverages with egg yolk, lemon, and spices”) and the fabric is unclear. The adjective is from an attributive use of the noun. === Pronunciation === (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈfʌs.tɪ.ən/, /ˈfʌs.tʃən/ (General American) IPA(key): /ˈfʌs.t͡ʃən/ Hyphenation: fust‧i‧an === Noun === fustian (usually uncountable, plural fustians) Originally, a kind of coarse fabric made from cotton and flax; now, a kind of coarse twilled cotton, or cotton and linen, stuff with a short pile and often dyed a dull colour, which is chiefly prepared for menswear. A class of fabric including corduroy and velveteen. (figuratively) Inflated, pompous, or pretentious speech or writing; bombast; also (archaic), incoherent or unintelligible speech or writing; gibberish, nonsense. Synonyms: aureation, (obsolete) bombard phrase, grandiloquence, magniloquence, purple prose (alcoholic beverages, archaic) Chiefly in rum fustian: a hot drink made of a mixture of alcoholic beverages (as beer, gin, and sherry or white wine) with egg yolk, lemon, and spices. ==== Hyponyms ==== (class of fabric): beaverteen ==== Derived terms ==== fustianed fustianism fustianist fustianize ==== Translations ==== === Adjective === fustian (comparative more fustian, superlative most fustian) Made out of fustian (noun sense 1). Of a person, or their speech or writing: using inflated, pompous, or pretentious language; bombastic; grandiloquent; also (obsolete) using incoherent or unintelligible language. Synonyms: see Thesaurus:verbose Antonyms: see Thesaurus:concise (obsolete) Imaginary; invented. Useless; worthless. ==== Translations ==== === References === === Further reading === fustian on Wikipedia.Wikipedia William Dwight Whitney, Benjamin E[li] Smith, editors (1911), “fustian”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., →OCLC. “fustian”, in OneLook Dictionary Search. === Anagrams === Faustin, faunist, fiaunts, infaust == Middle English == === Alternative forms === ffustean, ffusteyn, fostyon, fusten, fusteyn, fustyan, fustyane === Etymology === Borrowed from Old French fustaine, from Medieval Latin fūstāneum. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /fusˈtæi̯n/, /ˈfustin/ (pseudo-learned) IPA(key): /fustiˈaːn/, /ˈfustjan/ === Noun === fustian (uncountable) A cloth made of cotton, flax or wool, being the ancestor of modern fustian. A piece of such cloth used as a bedspread. ==== Descendants ==== English: fustian ⇒ Scots: foustie ==== References ==== “fustian, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.