Tawdrier

Tawdrier
Tawdry Taw"dry, a. [Compar. {Tawdrier}; superl. {Tawdriest}.] [Said to be corrupted from Saint Audrey, or Auldrey, meaning Saint Ethelreda, implying therefore, originally, bought at the fair of St. Audrey, where laces and gay toys of all sorts were sold. This fair was held in Isle Ely, and probably at other places, on the day of the saint, which was the 17th of October.] 1. Bought at the festival of St. Audrey. [Obs.] [1913 Webster]

And gird in your waist, For more fineness, with a tawdry lace. --Spenser. [1913 Webster]

2. Very fine and showy in colors, without taste or elegance; having an excess of showy ornaments without grace; cheap and gaudy; as, a tawdry dress; tawdry feathers; tawdry colors. [1913 Webster]

He rails from morning to night at essenced fops and tawdry courtiers. --Spectator. [1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • tawdrier — taw·dry || tɔːdrɪ adj. loud; cheap …   English contemporary dictionary

  • Tawdriest — Tawdry Taw dry, a. [Compar. {Tawdrier}; superl. {Tawdriest}.] [Said to be corrupted from Saint Audrey, or Auldrey, meaning Saint Ethelreda, implying therefore, originally, bought at the fair of St. Audrey, where laces and gay toys of all sorts… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Tawdry — Taw dry, a. [Compar. {Tawdrier}; superl. {Tawdriest}.] [Said to be corrupted from Saint Audrey, or Auldrey, meaning Saint Ethelreda, implying therefore, originally, bought at the fair of St. Audrey, where laces and gay toys of all sorts were sold …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • tawdry — I. adjective (tawdrier; est) Etymology: tawdry lace a tie of lace for the neck, from Saint Audrey (Saint Etheldreda) died 679 queen of Northumbria Date: 1655 cheap and gaudy in appearance or quality; also ignoble < a tawdry attempt to smear his… …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • Seattle Parks and Recreation — (also known as the [Seattle] Department of Parks and Recreation or DPR) is the department of government of the city of Seattle, Washington, responsible for maintaining the city s parks, open space, and community centers. The total area of the… …   Wikipedia

  • tawdry — tawdrily, adv. tawdriness, n. /taw dree/, adj., tawdrier, tawdriest, n. adj. 1. (of finery, trappings, etc.) gaudy; showy and cheap. 2. low or mean; base: tawdry motives. n. 3. cheap, gaudy apparel. [1605 15; short for ( …   Universalium

  • tawdry — [[t]tɔ͟ːdri[/t]] tawdrier, tawdriest 1) ADJ GRADED If you describe something such as clothes or decorations as tawdry, you mean that they are cheap and show a lack of taste. ...tawdry jewellery. Syn: tacky 2) ADJ GRADED: usu ADJ n If you describe …   English dictionary

  • tawdry — adjective (tawdrier, tawdriest) 1》 showy but cheap and of poor quality. 2》 sordid; sleazy. noun archaic cheap and gaudy finery. Derivatives tawdrily adverb tawdriness noun Word History Tawdry is short for tawdry lace, a …   English new terms dictionary

  • tawdry — UK [ˈtɔːdrɪ] / US [ˈtɔdrɪ] adjective Word forms tawdry : adjective tawdry comparative tawdrier superlative tawdriest 1) cheap and of bad quality 2) unpleasant, or immoral a tawdry affair Derived word: tawdriness noun uncountable …   English dictionary

  • tawdry — /ˈtɔdri / (say tawdree) adjective (tawdrier, tawdriest) (of finery, etc.) gaudy; showy and cheap. {shortened form of (Sain)t Audrey lace, i.e. lace bought at her fair in the Isle of Ely, a former county in eastern England} –tawdrily, adverb… …  

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