guimpe

Meanings

nounguimpe (countable and uncountable, plural guimpes)

countableuncountableGimp; a narrow flat braid or reinforced cord of fabric used for ornamental trimming.
countableuncountableA kind of short, high-necked blouse with sleeves of the late Victorian era, designed to be worn under a low-cut dress, jumper, or pinafore dress.
Smocking done in colors on fine white batiste, silk mull, or nainsook makes pretty guimpes and dresses for children and very smart blouses for women.
1916, “Smocking”, in The Dressmaker: A Complete Book on All Matters Connected with Sewing and Dressmaking […], 2nd revised and enlarged edition, New York, N.Y.; London: The Butterick Publishing Company, →OCLC, page 29
countableuncountableA kind of short chemisette or yoke insert made of lace, embroidery, or the like, worn with a low-necked dress.
countableuncountableA wimple; a wide, stiffly starched cloth that covers the neck and shoulders, as part of the habit of nuns of certain orders.
All the nuns at the convent wore plain blouses and skirts except for Sister Edgar, who had permission from the motherhouse to fit herself out in the old things with the arcane names, the wimple, cincture and guimpe.
1997, Don DeLillo, Underworld

verbguimpe (third-person singular simple present guimpes, present participle guimping, simple past and past participle guimped)

present singular third person guimpes · participle present guimping · participle past guimped · past guimped

alternativebusinessAlternative form of gimp.

Origin

Proto-Germanic*-ilaz
Proto-Indo-European*wimb-
Proto-Germanic*wimpilaz
Frankish*wimpil
Old Frenchguimple“wimple”
Middle Frenchguimpe
Frenchguimpe
Englishguimpe

From French guimpe, from Middle French guimpe, from Old French guimple (“wimple”), from Frankish *wimpil, *wimpila (“head scarf”), from Proto-Germanic *wimpilaz, from *wīpaną ("to wind, sling, garland, swing"; from Proto-Indo-European *wimb-, *weyb- (“to turn, rotate”)) + Proto-Germanic *-ilaz (instrumental suffix). Cognate with Old High German wimpal and winfila (“head scarf”), Middle Dutch wumpel (“cap”), Old English wimpel, winpel (“wimple”), Old Norse vimpill (“hood, veil”). Also influenced by Old French guimpre (“a kind of trimming”), from the same Germanic source. More at wimple.