tinsel

Meanings

Noun

• A shining fabric used for ornamental purposes.
• Damage, detriment; loss.
• Deprivation; forfeiture.

Adjective

• Of fabric: ornamented by being woven with gold or silver thread, or overlaid with thin metal plates; brocaded.

Verb

• To adorn (something) with tinsel.
• To give (something) a false or superficial attractiveness.
• To cause (someone) damage or loss; also, to impose a fine on (someone); to mulct.

Origin

• The noun is derived from Middle English tinsel, probably from Anglo-Norman tincel, tincelle, tencele, and then:
• from Old French estincelle, estencele (modern French étincelle), from Vulgar Latin *stincilla, a metathesis of Latin scintilla, probably from Proto-Indo-European *(s)ḱeh₁y-; and
• The English word is a scintilla, scintillate, and stencil.
• The adjective is from an attributive use of the noun;
• . Týna is derived from tjón, from Proto-Germanic *teuną; further etymology uncertain, possibly from Proto-Indo-European *dū- or *dāw-.
• The verb is derived from the noun.