tiffany

plural tiffanies

1. countableuncountableA kind of gauze, or very thin silk.

   1792, Hannah Cowley, A Day in Turkey; or, the Russian Slaves, London: G.G.J. & J. Robinson, Act III, Scene 1, p. 34, […] he made me throw away my peasant weeds, and gave me all these fine cloaths. See this tiffany, all spotted with silver; look at this beautiful turban—He gave it me all!

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   […] the smoak of sulphur will not black paper, and is commonly used by Women to whiten Tiffanies […]

   1646, Thomas Browne, Pseudodoxia Epidemica, 2nd edition, London: Edw. Dod & Nath. Ekins, Book 6, Chapter 12, p. 284

   Reduce all to a very fine Powder, searsing the same through a Tiffany Searse, as you should the former.

   1721, Robert Samber, chapter 1, in A Treatise of the Plague, London: James Holland et al., page 8

   When, however, the matin loving lark, or ruſſet pinions, floating amid the tiffany clouds, that variegated, in fleecy undulation, the grey-inveſted heavens, hailed with his ſoul-reviving note, the radient countenance of returning morn; […]

   1792, Charlotte Smith, “Letter XII.”, in Desmond. […], volume II, London: […] G[eorge,] G[eorge,] J[ohn] and J[ames] Robinson, […], →OCLC, pages 167–168

   Frost is another foe. Cordons might be protected by hoops covered with tiffany, Russian canvas, mats, or netting; bushes by nets, mats, etc.

   1903, E. Bartrum, The Book of Pears and Plums, London: John Lane, page 34

   A joy it was to see such a shifting maze of velvets, furs, curious needleworks and cloth of tissue, tiffanies, laces, ruffs, goodly chains and carcanets of gold: such glitter of jewels and weapons: such nodding of the plumes the Demons wore in their hair, half veiling the horns that grew upon their heads.

   1922, E[ric] R[ücker] Eddison, The Worm Ouroboros: A Romance, London: Jonathan Cape […], →OCLC, page 4

1. A northern English surname.
2. A female given name transferred from the surname.

   Tiffany Henyard’s tumultuous tenure as mayor of south suburban Dolton is coming to an end, and voters were very clear about ousting her.

   2025 February 25, Gabriel Castillo, Jenna Barnes, Ben Bradley, Michael Johnson, Erik Runge, “Defeated in Dolton: Trustee Jason House beats incumbent Mayor Tiffany Henyard by landslide in primary”, in WGN-TV, archived from the original on 27 Feb 2025

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   "That's her real name, you know. I mean, a lot of girls working the topless joints, they take exotic, sexy names...well, Tiffany Carter, for example...but that was the name Tracy was born with."

   1985, Ed McBain, Snow White and Rose Red, page 130

1. abbreviationellipsisuncountableEllipsis of Tiffany glass.