different between tinsel vs garland

English

Etymology

From Middle French estincelle (“spark”) (compare French étincelle), from Latin scintilla; compare scintillate, stencil.

Pronunciation

• (UK, US) IPA^(key): /?t?n.s?l/
• Rhymes: -?ns?l

Noun

tinsel (usually uncountable, plural tinsels)

1. A shining material used for ornamental purposes; especially, a very thin, gauzelike cloth with much gold or silver woven into it; also, very thin metal overlaid with a thin coating of gold or silver, brass foil, or the like.
   • 1675, John Dryden, Aureng-zebe

     Who can discern the tinsel from the gold?
2. Very thin strips of a glittering, metallic material used as a decoration, and traditionally draped at Christmas time over streamers, paper chains and the branches of Christmas trees.
3. Anything shining and gaudy; something superficially shining and showy, or having a false luster, and more pretty than valuable.
   • 1782, William Cowper, Truth

     O happy peasant! O unhappy bard! His the mere tinsel, hers the rich reward.

Translations

Adjective

tinsel (not comparable)

1. Glittering, later especially superficially so; gaudy, showy.
   • 1590, Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene, III.1:

     Her garments all were wrought of beaten gold, / And all her steed with tinsell trappings shone […]

Verb

tinsel (third-person singular simple present tinsels, present participle (UK) tinselling or (US) tinseling, simple past and past participle (UK) tinselled or (US) tinseled)

1. (transitive) To adorn with tinsel; to deck out with cheap but showy ornaments; to make gaudy.

   • She, tinseled o'er in robes of varying hues

2. (figuratively, transitive) To give a false sparkle to (something).

Derived terms

• tinseled, tinselled
• tinselly
• Tinseltown

See also

• trimmings
• trim up

References

• tinsel in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.

Anagrams

• ELINTs, SILENT, Teslin, enlist, inlets, leints, listen, silent

English

Etymology

From Middle English garland, garlaunde, gerland, from Old French garlande, garlaunde, gerlande, guerlande (compare French guirlande), from Frankish *wierl?n, *wieral?n, a frequentative form of Frankish *wier?n (“to adorn, bedeck”), from *wiera (“a gold thread”), akin to Old High German wieren (“to adorn”), Old High German wiara (“gold thread”). More at wire.

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /????l?nd/

Noun

garland (plural garlands)

1. A wreath, especially one of plaited flowers or leaves, worn on the body or draped as a decoration.

   • Bestow a Garland only on a Bier

2. An accolade or mark of honour.
3. (mining) A metal gutter placed round a mineshaft on the inside, to catch water running down inside the shaft and run it into a drainpipe.
4. The crown of a monarch.
   • 1569, Richard Grafton, A Chronicle at Large

     [she] joyfully receyued and welcommed mee, as the onely type and garland of her noble stirpe and linage

5. (dated) A book of extracts in prose or poetry; an anthology.
   • 1765, Thomas Percy, Reliques of Ancient English Poetry

     They [ballads] began to be collected into little miscellanies under the name of garlands.

6. The top; the thing most prized.
7. (nautical) A sort of netted bag used by sailors to keep provisions in.
8. (nautical) A grommet or ring of rope lashed to a spar for convenience in handling.

Translations

See also

• chaplet

Verb

garland (third-person singular simple present garlands, present participle garlanding, simple past and past participle garlanded)

1. (transitive) To deck or ornament something with a garland
2. (transitive) To form something into a garland

Anagrams

• Ragland