Aigret

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A decorative feather or plume worn by a bird or a human, often attached to a hat or headpiece
2. A type of ornamental foliage resembling feathers, typically used in fashion or as an embellishment
3. A symbol of elegance and style, often used in various cultural contexts to add flair to attire or accessories

Etymology: The word is an alternative spelling of "aigrette", borrowed from French, where "aigrette" means "egret". The two English words are doublets: both descend from the same source but entered English by different routes, so "egret" came in one way and "aigrette" came in another, and the two forms have since diverged in meaning. The link is visible in the object itself. An egret is a long-legged wading bird, and the name was applied to the plumes it grows during breeding season. Those feathers, delicate and sweeping, became prized ornaments, and the French word came to mean a plume or spray of feathers worn as decoration, most often on a hat or headdress. Over time the term extended to any jewelled or feathered ornament with a similar spray shape, such as the sparkling hair pieces and brooches fashionable in formal dress. That shift from a bird to a piece of finery explains why the word now signals elegance rather than birdlife.

Synonyms: plume, feather ornament, crest