chopine: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C2 - Very Low Frequency / ArchaicHistorical, Literary, Specialised (Fashion History)
Quick answer
What does “chopine” mean?
A type of high platform shoe or overshoe worn in Europe from the 15th to 17th centuries to elevate the wearer above mud and dirt.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A type of high platform shoe or overshoe worn in Europe from the 15th to 17th centuries to elevate the wearer above mud and dirt.
A historical, often ornate, footwear with an extreme platform sole, sometimes used as a status symbol. Can refer poetically or metaphorically to anything that artificially elevates height or status.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in usage, as the term is archaic and specialised. Both variants use the same spelling and refer to the same historical object.
Connotations
Evokes Renaissance, Baroque, or Elizabethan era fashion. May connote impracticality, ostentation, or the extreme fashions of the past.
Frequency
Extremely rare in both dialects, found almost exclusively in historical or specialist contexts.
Grammar
How to Use “chopine” in a Sentence
The [ADJECTIVE] chopine[VERB] a chopinechopine made of [MATERIAL]chopine from [PERIOD/PLACE]Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “chopine” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- Not used as a verb.
American English
- Not used as a verb.
adverb
British English
- Not used as an adverb.
American English
- Not used as an adverb.
adjective
British English
- Not used as a standard adjective. Possible: 'chopine-style platform'.
American English
- Not used as a standard adjective. Possible: 'a chopine shoe'.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Not used.
Academic
Used in papers on historical dress, material culture, or gender studies (e.g., 'Chopines signified wealth and restricted mobility').
Everyday
Virtually never used.
Technical
Used in museum cataloguing, costume design for period drama, and fashion history.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “chopine”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “chopine”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “chopine”
- Pronouncing it as 'cho-pine' (like pine tree). Correct: 'cho-peen'.
- Using it to refer to any high-heeled shoe.
- Spelling: 'chopin', 'chopene'.
- Assuming it is in current use.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No. While both have thick soles, a chopine is a specific historical artifact from the 15th-17th centuries, often with an extreme, sometimes cylindrical platform, and carries distinct cultural meanings.
The most common pronunciation is /tʃoʊˈpiːn/ (choh-PEEN) in American English and /tʃɒˈpiːn/ (cho-PEEN) in British English. An alternative, less common pronunciation is with the stress on the first syllable.
You are most likely to see it in academic texts about fashion history, museum exhibits on costume, or detailed historical novels set in the Renaissance period.
It would be highly unusual and incorrect if your shoes are modern. Using it would be a deliberate, poetic archaism, suggesting your shoes are as extreme and ornate as the historical originals.
A type of high platform shoe or overshoe worn in Europe from the 15th to 17th centuries to elevate the wearer above mud and dirt.
Chopine is usually historical, literary, specialised (fashion history) in register.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “None in common use. Potential metaphorical: 'walking on chopines' to suggest precarious elevation.”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a CHOPPING block with a PIN (chopine) stuck in it, making it very tall and unstable to stand on, like the shoe.
Conceptual Metaphor
ELEVATION IS STATUS / FASHION IS A PHYSICAL BURDEN
Practice
Quiz
What is a 'chopine'?