hennin: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1Historical, academic, literary, costuming.
Quick answer
What does “hennin” mean?
A tall, cone-shaped headdress worn by women in medieval Europe.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A tall, cone-shaped headdress worn by women in medieval Europe.
A high, steeple-like headdress, often with a veil, fashionable in the 15th century, primarily associated with Burgundian court fashion.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in meaning or usage. Both varieties use the term exclusively for the historical context.
Connotations
Same historical, academic, or fantastical (e.g., fairy tales, Renaissance fairs) connotations in both varieties.
Frequency
Extremely low-frequency word in both varieties, found only in specialized texts.
Grammar
How to Use “hennin” in a Sentence
[Subject] wore a hennin.A hennin was worn by [person/class].The painting depicts [figure] in a hennin.Vocabulary
Collocations
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Not used.
Academic
Used in historical, art historical, and fashion history texts to describe 15th-century European women's attire.
Everyday
Virtually never used in everyday conversation except in specific contexts like discussing history, visiting a museum, or costuming.
Technical
Used in costume design, historical reenactment, and theatrical wardrobe contexts.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “hennin”
- Misspelling as 'hening', 'henin', or confusing it with 'henna'.
- Using it to refer to any old hat or non-pointed headdress.
- Incorrect plural: 'hennins' is correct, not 'hennin' for plural.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Almost certainly not. Historical accounts suggest they were cumbersome, required padding and pins to secure, and limited the wearer's movement and peripheral vision.
No. The hennin was a fashion of the aristocracy and very wealthy urban women, primarily in Burgundy and other northern European courts in the 1400s. It was not worn by peasants or commoners.
Yes, the English term is borrowed directly from French. Its ultimate etymology is uncertain but may be related to the Walloon (Belgian French dialect) word 'hennequin' meaning 'household sprite' or 'fool', possibly due to the extravagant appearance.
You can see them in portraits from the period (e.g., by artists like Rogier van der Weyden), in museum collections of medieval art, and in reproductions worn by actors at Renaissance fairs or in historical films.
A tall, cone-shaped headdress worn by women in medieval Europe.
Hennin is usually historical, academic, literary, costuming. in register.
Hennin: in British English it is pronounced /ˈhɛn.ɪn/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈhɛn.ɪn/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “None”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: 'HEN' + 'PIN'. Imagine a hen with a very long, pin-like feather on its head, resembling the tall, pointed hennin.
Conceptual Metaphor
Not applicable; the term is a concrete historical noun without common metaphorical extensions.
Practice
Quiz
What is a 'hennin'?