Vandykes

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A style of facial hair featuring a goatee with a mustache that is often styled distinctively
2. A specific grooming choice characterized by a combination of a mustache and a pointed beard
3. A type of beard and mustache combination that is named after a historical figure, known for its fashionable appearance

Etymology: Anthony van Dyck, the Flemish painter who worked in the 17th century, is remembered for his portraits of aristocrats, and the style he painted became so associated with elegance that his name was turned into a word for a beard. The "vandyke" is a pointed beard, typically trimmed to a sharp tuft on the chin, paired with a thin moustache whose ends curl or point outward. It is named for the way the sitters in his portraits wore their facial hair, which made the look seem refined and courtly. "Vandykes" is simply the plural of "vandyke", so it refers to more than one such beard or to the style in general. The word is a plain eponym: a surname turned into a common noun, with no change in its underlying sense.

Synonyms: sideburns, mutton chops