Brilliantines

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A type of hair oil that imparts a glossy finish to hair while providing a light hold and shine
2. A cosmetic product designed for hairstyling that adds luster and texture, often used for a polished appearance
3. A specialized grooming product that creates a sleek look for hair while maintaining a touchable softness and shine

Etymology: The plural simply counts jars or bottles of the product. The singular was borrowed from French "brillantine", and its ancestry runs back to a gemstone. Sanskrit and Prakrit forms such as "vērulia" lie behind the Greek "bḗrullos", or beryl, which passed into Latin as "beryllus". From there the chain runs through Italian "brillare" and French "briller", meaning "to shine", and its adjective "brillant". The French derivative "brillantine" was then borrowed into English, so a word for a green gem ended up naming a grooming product built around shine.