periwig

English

Etymology

Alteration of Middle French perruque. Doublet of peruke.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈpɛɹɪwɪɡ/

Noun

periwig (plural periwigs)

1. (now historical) A wig, especially any kind of stylised wig as formerly worn by men and women. [from 16th c.]
   • c. 1599–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene ii]:

     O, it
     offends me to the soul to hear a robustious
     periwig-pated fellow tear a passion to tatters, to
     very rags, to split the ears of the groundling […]

   • 1607, Cyril Tourneur, The Revenger’s Tragedy:

     Methinks she makes almost as fair a sign / As some old gentlewoman in a periwig.

   • 1633, John Donne, To the Countess of Salisbury, ll 4-7:

     [T]he sun
     Grown stale, is to so low a value run,
     That his dishevel'd beams and scattered fires
     Serve but for ladies' periwigs and tyres
     In lovers' sonnets […]

   • 1657, Josua Poole, The English Parnassus, vide "Frost":

     The floods in icie fetters bound.

     Crusted earth. Every honey-headed twig

     Wears his snowie Periwig,

     And every bough his snowy beard.

   • 1730, Jonathan Swift, “Death And Daphne,”, in Some Verse Pieces:

     From her own Head, Megwra takes
     A Perriwig of twisted Snakes;
     Which in the nicest Fashion curl'd,
     Like Toupets of this upper World […]

   • 1751, [Tobias] Smollett, The Adventures of Peregrine Pickle […], volume (please specify |volume=I to IV), London: Harrison and Co., […], →OCLC:

     [O]ur impetuous youth hearing himself reviled with the appellation of scoundrel, pulled off his antagonist's periwig, and flung it in his face.

Derived terms

• tie periwig
• wig

Translations

wig — see wig

Verb

periwig (third-person singular simple present periwigs, present participle periwigging, simple past and past participle periwigged)

1. (transitive) To dress with a periwig, or with false hair; to bewig.
   • 1736, Jonathan Swift, The Legion Club:

     Discord periwigg'd with snakes