Charles Dickens was quite interested in wigs. Wigs
are often mentioned in several of his novels. In
addition, Dickens wrote articles in
Household Words
and
All the Year 'Round.
Click First Letter of Definition Word:
ABCDEFGH
I
J
KLM
"Adonis wig":
An effeminate white powdered wig worn by fashionable
young men. Also called a
"cur wig".
"Ailes de pigeon" or
"Buckles" or
"Pigeon wings":
The wig hair began to be drawn to the back and be
tied (see perukes), but the side sections were bare,
thus curles were added to the sides, left hanging
in front of the ears (earlocks). These side sections
looked a little like "wings", hence were sometimes
called
"pigeon wings",
or buckles.
"Aggravators" or
"Aggerawators" or
"Haggerawators" or
"Figure 6" or:
A "aggravator" or "aggerawator"
is a slang term for a man's lock of hair brought down from the forehead,
well greased, and twisted in a spiral on the temple either in the
direction of the ear or the eye. A variety of "Lovelock", for men.
(See "A Dictionary of Slang and its Analogues, Past and Present", by
John S. Farmer and W. E. Henley, London, 1890.)
"Bag wig":
In the early days, soldiers encased their queues in a
"black bag"
with draw strings as a matter of convenience.
Eventually this practice became fashionable. After 1730,
"bag wigs"
became increasingly common. The bags were usually of
black silk, tied with a drawstring, decorated with a
stiff bow or rosette. Often a bag wig was combined
with a solitaire.
"Bandeau":
An examples of a "
bandeau
" hairstyle.
"Barley sugar curls":
"
Barley sugar curls
"
are long drop curls worn by children.
"Bishop's bob" or
"Physical bob" or
"Parsonic bob" or
"Episcopal bob":
The "bishop's bob"
was worn by bishops of
the English church. The foretop was often
2" or 3" high. It was worn in the House of
Lords. (Permission was required from
William IV in order for the Episcopal bench
[ecclesiastic court] to discontinue the
practice of wearing wigs.)
"Bob major" or
"Long bob":
A periwig with bottom hair turned up into short
curls or bobs. The "bob major"
or "long bob" covered the entire back of
the neck. The "short bob" reached only to
the top of the neck (leaving the neck
exposed). Often the "short bob" was worn
by tradesmen. A long bob is also called a
"minister's bob" as well as a
"clergyman's bob".
"Bob minor" or
"Short bob":
A "minor bob" exposed the neck (while a long bob covered
the neck and sometimes were shoulder length).
Often the "short bob" was worn by tradesmen.
"Border of hair":
Hair worn around the edge of the hair line of
the head. A border of hair can be a woman's
"front" (from temple to temple).
"Buckles" or
"Ailes de pigeon" or
"Pigeon wings":
The wig hair began to be drawn to the back and be
tied (see perukes), but the side sections were bare,
thus curles were added to the sides, left hanging
in front of the ears (earlocks). These side sections
looked a little like "wings", hence were sometimes
called
"pigeon wings",
or buckles.
"Cachepeigne":
A "cachepeigne"
is a bunch of curls attached to a hidden comb
(see pin-curl).
"Cadogan wig" or
"Club wig":
A "cadogan"
wig has the queue of hair, broad and straight,
and is folded back upon itself and tied around
its middle.
"Campaign wig" or
"Knotted wig" or
"Travelling wig":
A "campaign wig"
is a full wig, curled, 18" long in front with
drop locks. In some cases the back part of
the wig was put in a black silk bag (a
"bag wig").
"Caricature":
"
Caricatures
"
about those who used wigs was all too easy.
"Cauliflower wig" or
"Cut wig":
A "cauliflower wig"
is a white, close curled bob wig usually
without a queue, (often worn by clergy
and physicians).
"Chignon":
A "chignon"
is a large bunch or coil of hair worn at the
back of the head or nape of the neck and
often dressed over a pad.
"Club wig" or
"Cadogan wig":
A "club wig"
has the queue of hair, broad and straight,
and is folded back upon itself and tied around
its middle.
"Combs":
Types of combs: Horse/Mane, wiske, Back tooth,
Beard, Double, Merkin, Peruwick. Combs made of
Wood (in general), Boxwood, Horn, Ivory, Bone,
Tortoise shell, Cocus. Note: "lead" was used
to color hair.
"Commode":
A frame of wire, covered with silk, on which
the whole head-attire is adjusted at once upon
a wooden form carved in the shape of breasts
(like that used by peruke makers).
"Confidant":
Small curles near the ears.
"Cordette wig":
A "cordette" wig is a powdered wig with two
pleated queues at the neck.
"Creve-Couer":
Heart-breakers (the small curled locks at the
nape of the neck).
"Crimping":
To "crimp"
hair is to crisping, frizzing, or corrugating the hair.
"Crisped hair":
Hair lying in a wave ("curled hair" or
"frizzed hair").
"Cruches":
"Cruches"
are small curls placed on the forehead.
"Cur wig":
An effeminate white powdered wig worn by fashionable
young men. Also called an
"adonis wig".
"Curled hair":
A ringlet of hair; a spiral lock of hair. When
very wide it is usually called a roll, when
narrow a ribbon curl, or when very narrow a
tendril or filament curl. The measure of "width"
refers to the circle of hairs, not the diamater
of the curl.
"Cut wig" or
"Cauliflower wig":
A "cut wig"
is a white, close curled bob wig usually without
a queue, (often worn by clergy and physicians).
"Dildo" or
"Suffloplin:
A sausage-shaped corkscrew curl of a man's
wig, a lock of hair hanging from the head, also
a part of the dressing of a "campaign" wig.
(See "pole lock".)
"Drake Tail curle":
When only the ends of the hair turn up and all
the remaining hair hangs smooth, this is
referred to as "drake tail curles".
Materials used for wigs: human hair, animal hair
and sometimes even FEATHERS! "Perhaps the most
curious substitution was that of feathers, used
largely for the foretop. Thus, one finds references
to 'feather-top' wigs, which were used a good deal
for outdoor activities and, it seems, by parsons.
One peruke-maker's advertisement reads, 'very
durable wigs, not to be hurt at least by wet,
made of the single feathers in mallards tails.'
Another advertisement, in January 1761, offers
'Gentlemen's perukes for sporting made of drakes'
tails'." See "Fashions in Hair: The First Five
Thousand Years", by Richard Corson, Peter Owen Ltd.,
London, 1965, 1980, pp. 276-277
"Drop curls":
A "drop curl"
is a curl or ringlet in a spiral or corkscrew form.
"Duchess":
A "duchess" is the first knot that holds hair
to a wire frame (see "commode").
"Dundrearies" or
"Weepers":
"Dundrearies"
or "Weepers" are long, flowing side-whiskers.
"Episcopal bob"
"Bishop's bob" or
"Parsonic bob" or
"Physical bob":
The "Episcopal bob"
was worn by bishops of the English church.
The foretop was often 2" or 3" high. It
was worn in the House of Lords. (Permission
was required from William IV in order for
the Episcopal bench [ecclesiastic court] to
discontinue the practice of wearing wigs.)
"Favorite":
"Favorites"
are curls worn at the temples, at the sides of the face.
"Figure 6" or
"Aggravators" or
"Aggerawators" or
"Haggerawators":
A "figure six"
is a slang term for a man's lock of hair brought down from the forehead,
well greased, and twisted in a spiral on the temple either in the
direction of the ear or the eye. A variety of "Lovelock", for men.
(See "A Dictionary of Slang and its Analogues, Past and Present", by
John S. Farmer and W. E. Henley, London, 1890.)
"Firmament":
Diamonds or other precious stones at the
head of pins (that make the pins look like
stars).
"Fontange":
Marie de Scoraille de Roussilhe (duchess de Fontanges),
maid of honour to Madame and mistress to the king, was
accompanying the king on a hunting party when her hair
came down. She took off her garter and put it around
her head. All the ladies of the court immediately
adopted this style. See "front-ange".
"Foundation":
The substance (such as a net) upon which the hair
is knotted, woven or sewn in the manufacture of a
postiche.
"Fringe":
A "fringe"
is a line of scalloped curls, sewn down the
center, intended to be worn on the forehead, at
the hairline. A fringe is not the same as a
front or puff, but all are worn on the forehead,
as opposed to favorites,
which are curls worn at the temples or sides of
the head.
"Frissed hair" or
"Frizzed hair":
"Frizzed hair"
is characterized by smalled tight curles or
crimped hair which could then be combed out
to make the hair bushy.
"Front":
A "front"
(also known as a puff or poof or pouf) looked
like forehead curls, but must be distinguished
from curls located at the temples or sides of
the head (called "favorites").
"Front-ange" or
"Top-knot":
Any arrangement of hair on the top of the head,
but also a ribbon, knot or other decoration at
the top of the head. See "fontange".
"Full-bottomed wig":
A "full-bottomed"
wig has long curls which hang over the shoulders. The
crown is curled or frizzed, long flaps, with 20 or
more rows of curls. The wig is made from horses hair.
A full-bottomed wig has two forms: frizzed all over
(for ordinary occasions, called the 'undress wig'),
and one which has the additional curls. It is rserved
for professionals and aristocrats, judges, barristers,
the Lord Chancellor, the Queen's counsel in the House
of Lords, and the speaker in the House of Commons.
"Haggerawators" or
"Aggravators" or
"Aggerawators" or
"Figure 6" or:
A "haggerawators"
is a slang term for a man's lock of hair brought down from the forehead,
well greased, and twisted in a spiral on the temple either in the
direction of the ear or the eye. A variety of "Lovelock", for men.
(See "A Dictionary of Slang and its Analogues, Past and Present", by
John S. Farmer and W. E. Henley, London, 1890.)
"Hanging curls":
A corkscrew or drop curl.
"Heartbreakers":
Heart-breakers are small curled locks at the nape of the neck.
"Hurlu-burlu":
A mass of curles close to the scalp,
with a few longer ringlets hanging down
the neck.
"Knotted wig" or
"Campaign wig" or
"Travelling wig":
A "knotted wig"
is a full wig, curled, 18" long in front with
drop locks. In some cases the back part of
the wig was put in a black silk bag (a
"bag wig").
"Long bob" or
"Bob major":
A periwig with bottom hair turned up into short
curls or bobs. The "long bob"
or "bob major" covered the entire back of
the neck. The "short bob" reached only to
the top of the neck (leaving the neck
exposed). Often the "short bob" was worn
by tradesmen. A long bob is also called a
"minister's bob" as well as a
"clergyman's bob".
"Long hair":
Long hair was a sign of social rank (of the nobility and
aristocracy). Dickens has pointed this out in
Household Words, July 25, 1855, on page
619. He goes on to point out that "Short hair
used, in the good old times, to be the mark
of serfs or bondsmen, as indeed it is now
partly to be taken as the mark of persons
lately come from gaol."
"Love-locks":
A "love-lock"
is a tress of long, curled or waved hair, worn by a
man (sometimes by a woman), combed forward from the
neck to hang casually over the front of the shoulder.
Its end was often decorated by a ribbon tied in a bow.
Often the hairpiece was longer on the left than the
right side.
"Macaroni":
A "macaroni",
was a fop or dandy with an extravagant hairstyle and
affected mannerisms, often viewed as a buffoon. The term ‘macaroni’
also often referred to a homosexual with the same mannerisms and
dress style. The name "macaroni" was derived from the Macaroni Club,
formed by wealthy young men of fashion who had travelled in Italy.
They affected long curls and spying-glasses. Later, they assumed an
immense knot of artificial hair hehind a very small cocked hat, an
extremely close-cut jacket, waistcoat and breeches, and carried an
enormous walking-stick. Even later, an immense nosegay was adopted.
"Marteau":
A "marteau"
is a postiche with a flat net with two loops at
each end by which the marteau coud be secured using hairpins.
"Meurtrier":
"Meurtriers" or murderers are a knot in the hair
which ties and unites the curls.
"Palisade":
A wire sustaining the hair next to the "dutchess"
(first knot).
"Parsonic bob" or
"Episcopal bob" or
"Bishop's bob" or
"Physical bob":
The "parsonic bob" was worn by bishops of
the English church. The foretop was often
2" or 3" high. It was worn in the House of
Lords (permission was required from
William IV in order for the Episcopal bench
(ecclesiastic court) to discontinue the
practice of wearing wigs).
"Passageer":
A "passageer"
is a curled lock next to the temples.
"Patch":
Marie Antoinette had a mole on her face. Thus
women of the court (and homosexual
"macaronis",
who identified with Marie Antoinette)
placed artificial moles or
"patches" on their faces. Considering the
artist Hogarth's depictions of patches as
signs of venereal disease in "A Harlot's
Progress", we must take care not to
confuse the patch with a sign of venereal
disease. The spread of venereal disease
due to the Spanish invasion of Sicily and
especially Naples, resulted in a pandemic
of syphillis throughout Europe at this time.
Thus, in the back of people's minds, the
immediate subcontext, upon seeing a patch,
would be venereal disease, and then (possibly)
social status and beauty. These associations
may be seen in the engravings of
Hogarth's
"The Harlot's Progress".
"Perawick" or
"Periwig":
A perawick includes the following components:
Bottom Locks, Side Locks, Crown, Foretop, and
Full Front.
"Perawick thimble" or
"Periwig thimble":
A "perawick thimble" is a thimble used to help push
a needle through the netting that holds a
perawick together.
"Periwig" or
"Perawick":
A periwig includes the following components:
Bottom Locks, Side Locks, Crown, Foretop, and
Full Front.
"Periwig thimble" or
"Perawick thimble":
A "periwig thimble" is a thimble used to help push
a needle through the netting that holds a
periwig together.
"Perruquier":
A "perruquier" is a person who makes perukes.
"Peruke":
A skullcap covered with human hair to reprsent natural hair growing on the head.
Different perukes
"Physical bob" or
"Parsonic bob" or
"Episcopal bob" or
"Bishop's bob":
The "physical bob" was worn by bishops of
the English church. The foretop was often
2" or 3" high. It was worn in the House of
Lords (permission was required from
William IV in order for the Episcopal bench
(ecclesiastic court) to discontinue the
practice of wearing wigs).
"Pigeon wings" or
"Ailes de pigeon" or
"Buckles" :
The wig hair began to be drawn to the back and be
tied (see perukes), but the side sections were bare,
thus curles were added to the sides, left hanging
in front of the ears (earlocks). These side sections
looked a little like "wings", hence were sometimes
called
"pigeon wings",
or buckles.
"Pin-Curl":
A "pin-curl"
is a small pastiche of flat curls secured to a hairpin.
"Pole Lock" or
"Poll-Lock":
A "pole lock"
is a sausage-shaped corkscrew curl of a man's
wig, a lock of hair hanging from the head, also
a part of the dressing of a "campaign" wig.
(See "suffloplin" or
"dildo").
"Postiche":
Any added hairpiece (real hair or false) such as a wig, chignon, pincurl, etc.
"Pouf" or
"Puff":
A "pouf"
or "puff" looked
like forehead curls, but must be distinguished
from curls located at the temples or sides of
the head (called "favorites").
Fringes are different from puffs. Fringes are
scalloped curls, sewn down the center, also
intended to be worn on the forehead, at the
hairline.
"Puff" or
"Pouf":
A "puff",
or "pouf" looked
like forehead curls, but must be distinguished
from curls located at the temples or sides of
the head (called "favorites").
Fringes are different from puffs. Fringes are
scalloped curls, sewn down the center, also
intended to be worn on the forehead, at the
hairline.
"Ringlet":
"Ringlets"
is a generalized term for small rings (or curls) of hair.
Differentiation is not made between curls, and where curls
are located (such as "love locks", "favorites", "fronts",
hanging curls, "pin curls", "drop curls" etc.), While
"ringlets" do not exclude hair growing from the scalp, the
term most often applies to pieces of hair attached by
external means.
"Rosette":
A "rosette"
is a bow, often attached to a queue of hair or to a wig bag.
"Short bob" or
"Bob minor":
A "short bob" exposed the neck (while a long bob covered the
neck and sometimes were shoulder length).
Often the "short bob" was worn by tradesmen.
"Snake curle":
When locks of hair turn around many times
and hang down like a pole lock or dildo,
this is called a "snake curl".
"Solitaire":
A "solitaire"
was a black ribbon tied around the neck.
A solitaire was often worn with wigs when the neck
was easily observed. Originally, the solitaire
was tied into a bow behind the neck (later, the bow
was at the front of the neck, becoming the "bow tie").
"Suffloplin" or
"Dildo:
A sausage-shaped corkscrew curl of a man's
wig, a lock of hair hanging from the head, also
a part of the dressing of a "campaign" wig.
(See "pole lock".)
"Tie wig" or
"Tye wig":
To keep hair under control, wigs such as the
knotted wig and the bag wig evolved. Similary, the
"tie wig"
or "tye wig" evolved. The hair was pulled to
the rear, tied together, allowing the curls
to fall freely down the back.
"Top-knot" or
"Front-ange":
Any arrangement of hair on the top of the head,
but also a ribbon, knot or other decoration at
the top of the head.
"Tour":
A "tour"
(mis-translated as "tower") is false hair pilled high on the head.
"Tower":
A high headress. "Tower" being a mis-translation of "tour".
"Travelling wig" or
"Knotted wig" or
"Campaign wig":
A "travelling wig"
is a full wig, curled, 18" long in front with
drop locks. In some cases the back part of
the wig was put in a black silk bag (a
"bag wig").
"Tye wig" or
"Tie wig":
To keep hair under control, wigs such as the
knotted wig and the bag wig evolved. Similary, the
"tye wig"
or "tie wig" evolved. The hair was pulled to
the rear, tied together, allowing the curls
to fall freely down the back.
Web Site Terms of Use