Dictionary

peruke en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /pəˈɹuk/ (General-American)
• (Southern-England) audio
• /pəˈɹuːk/ (Received-Pronunciation)

Etymology

From French perruque. Doublet of periwig.

Meanings

1. A wig, especially one with long hair on the sides and back, worn mainly by men in the 17th and 18th centuries.
   • Every chair was filled, the line of assistants working like conjurors at the bizarre hairstyles, a splendid confusion of feathers and flared perukes, wings of back-brushed hair, like the plumage of an aviary. 1979, J.G. Ballard, chapter 19, in The Unlimited Dream Company:
   • Let the long peruke succeed the godly cropt hair; the cravat, the ruff; […] 1834, Robert Southey, “Ante-preface”, in The Doctor, &c., volume I, London: Longman, Rees, Orme, Brown, Green, and Longman, →OCLC, pages 35–36:
   • With a delicate touch, he reset his golden peruke on his sweat-slick skull. 1992, Kim Newman, Anno Dracula, Titan Books, published 2011, page 135:
   • But now at thirty years my hair is gray— / (I wonder what it will be like at forty? / I thought of a peruke the other day) […] 1819 July 15, [Lord Byron], Don Juan, London: […] Thomas Davison, […], →OCLC, canto I, stanza CCXIII, page 109:
   • To poſterity perhaps his prints vvill carry an idea of ſomething burleſque; perukes of outrageous length flovving over ſuits of armour compoſe vvonderfull habits. 1762–1771, Horace Walpole, “Mr. JOHN SMITH”, in A Catalogue of Engravers, Who Have Been Born, or Resided in England; […], volume (please specify |volume=I to IV, or Engravers), London: […] Thomas Farmer […], →OCLC, page 105:

Forms

Deriveds

peruked

Descendants

peruken

Relateds

perruquier

Translations (23)

pl peruka (wig) · es peluca (wig) · hu paróka (wig) · sh перика (wig) · sh власуља (wig) · it parrucca (wig) · io peruko (wig) · fr perruque (wig) · oc perruca (wig) · sv peruk (wig) · pt peruca (wig) · eo peruko (wig) · fi peruukki (wig) · sh vlasulja (wig) · nl pruik (wig) · ia perrucca (wig) · ru пари́к (wig) · sh perika (wig) · he פאה (wig) · de Perücke (wig) · mk пе́рика (wig) · bg дълга перука (wig) · vo peluk (wig)