Dictionary — ontologydriven

brilliantine en · NOUN

Borrowed from French brillantine.

(countable, dated, uncountable) A hair pomade, making the hair shine brilliantly.
- "I wouldn't regret it," said Linda, "if I took Eileen by the shoulders and shook her till I shook the rouge off her cheek, and the brilliantine off her hair, and a million mean little subterfuges out of her soul. 1921, Gene Stratton-Porter, chapter 4, in Her father's daughter, archived from the original on 11 Aug 2014:
- The hairdresser's shop was warm and glittering. It smelled of soap and burnt paper and wallflower brilliantine. 1920, Katherine Mansfield [pseudonym; Kathleen Mansfield Murry], “Revelations”, in Bliss and Other Stories, London: Constable & Company, published 1920, →OCLC, page 267:
(countable, dated, uncountable) A smooth shiny, luxurious fabric, often of alpaca or vicuña.
- Bathing Suit of Brilliantine in Navy Blue and Black, trimmed with white mohair braid and buttons (no bloomers). Special 3.95 1916 June 11, The New York Times, number 112:

Spelling	Features	Labels	Source
brilliantines	Number=Plur		lexicographic

Borrowed from French brillantine.

(dated) To apply brilliantine to the hair.
- And the waiter, of course, dips his fingers into the gravy—his nasty, greasy fingers which he is for ever running through his brilliantined hair. 1933 January 9, George Orwell [pseudonym; Eric Arthur Blair], chapter XIV, in Down and Out in Paris and London, London: Victor Gollancz […], →OCLC:

Spelling	Features	Source
brilliantines	Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres	lexicographic
brilliantined	Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part	lexicographic
brilliantined	Tense=Past	lexicographic
brilliantining	Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part	lexicographic