periwig

plural periwigs

1. historicalA wig, especially any kind of stylized wig as formerly worn by men and women.First known use 16th c.

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

   1607, Cyril Tourneur, The Revenger’s Tragedy

   5 more examples

   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 […]

   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]

   [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 […]

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

   The floods in icie fetters bound. Crusted earth. Every honey-headed twig Wears his snowie Periwig, And every bough his snowy beard.

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

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

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

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

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

present singular third person periwigs · participle present periwigging · participle past periwigged · past periwigged

1. transitiveTo dress with a periwig, or with false hair; to bewig.

   Discord periwigg'd with snakes

   1736, Jonathan Swift, The Legion Club