brilliantine

English

Etymology

Borrowed from French brillantine.

Noun

brilliantine (countable and uncountable, plural brilliantines) (dated)

1. A hair pomade, making the hair shine brilliantly.
   • 1920, Katherine Mansfield [pseudonym; Kathleen Mansfield Murry], “Revelations”, in Bliss and Other Stories, London: Constable & Company, published 1920, →OCLC, page 267:

     The hairdresser's shop was warm and glittering. It smelled of soap and burnt paper and wallflower brilliantine.

   • 1921, Gene Stratton-Porter, chapter 4, in Her father's daughter‎^[1], archived from the original on 11 August 2014:

     "I wouldn't regret it," said Linda, "if I took Eileen by the shoulders and shook her till I shook the rouge off her cheek, and the brilliantine off her hair, and a million mean little subterfuges out of her soul.

2. A smooth shiny, luxurious fabric, often of alpaca or vicuña.
   • 1916 June 11, The New York Times‎^[2], number 112:

     Bathing Suit of Brilliantine in Navy Blue and Black, trimmed with white mohair braid and buttons (no bloomers). Special 3.95

Verb

brilliantine (third-person singular simple present brilliantines, present participle brilliantining, simple past and past participle brilliantined)

1. To apply brilliantine to the hair.
   • 1933 January 9, George Orwell [pseudonym; Eric Arthur Blair], chapter XIV, in Down and Out in Paris and London, London: Victor Gollancz […], →OCLC:

     And the waiter, of course, dips his fingers into the gravy—his nasty, greasy fingers which he is for ever running through his brilliantined hair.