Meaning of "tinsel" in the English dictionary

ETYMOLOGY OF THE WORD TINSEL

From Old French estincele a spark, from Latin scintilla; compare stencil.

Etymology is the study of the origin of words and their changes in structure and significance.

PRONUNCIATION OF TINSEL

tinsel  [ˈtɪnsəl]

GRAMMATICAL CATEGORY OF TINSEL

Tinsel is a verb and can also act as a noun and an adjective.

A noun is a type of word the meaning of which determines reality. Nouns provide the names for all things: people, objects, sensations, feelings, etc.

The adjective is the word that accompanies the noun to determine or qualify it.

The verb is the part of the sentence that is conjugated and expresses action and state of being.

See the conjugation of the verb tinsel in English.

WHAT DOES TINSEL MEAN IN ENGLISH?

Tinsel

Tinsel is a sparkling decorative material that mimics the effect of ice or icicles. When in long narrow strips, it emulates icicles. It was originally a metallic garland for Christmas decoration. The modern production of tinsel typically involves plastic, and is used particularly to decorate Christmas trees. It may be hung from ceilings or wrapped around statues, lampposts, and so on. Modern tinsel was invented in Nuremberg, Germany, in 1610, and was originally made of shredded silver. According to the Concise Oxford Dictionary, the word is from the Old French word estincele, meaning “sparkle”.

Definition of tinsel in the English dictionary

The first definition of tinsel in the dictionary is a decoration consisting of a piece of string with thin strips of metal foil attached along its length. Other definition of tinsel is a yarn or fabric interwoven with strands of glittering thread. Tinsel is also anything cheap, showy, and gaudy.

CONJUGATION OF THE VERB TO TINSEL

PRESENT

Present

I tinsel

you tinsel

he/she/it tinsels

we tinsel

you tinsel

they tinsel

Present continuous

I am tinselling

you are tinselling

he/she/it is tinselling

we are tinselling

you are tinselling

they are tinselling

Present perfect

I have tinselled

you have tinselled

he/she/it has tinselled

we have tinselled

you have tinselled

they have tinselled

Present perfect continuous

I have been tinselling

you have been tinselling

he/she/it has been tinselling

we have been tinselling

you have been tinselling

they have been tinselling

Present tense is used to refer to circumstances that exist at the present time or over a period that includes the present time. The present perfect refers to past events, although it can be considered to denote primarily the resulting present situation rather than the events themselves.

PAST

Past

I tinselled

you tinselled

he/she/it tinselled

we tinselled

you tinselled

they tinselled

Past continuous

I was tinselling

you were tinselling

he/she/it was tinselling

we were tinselling

you were tinselling

they were tinselling

Past perfect

I had tinselled

you had tinselled

he/she/it had tinselled

we had tinselled

you had tinselled

they had tinselled

Past perfect continuous

I had been tinselling

you had been tinselling

he/she/it had been tinselling

we had been tinselling

you had been tinselling

they had been tinselling

Past tense forms express circumstances existing at some time in the past,

FUTURE

Future

I will tinsel

you will tinsel

he/she/it will tinsel

we will tinsel

you will tinsel

they will tinsel

Future continuous

I will be tinselling

you will be tinselling

he/she/it will be tinselling

we will be tinselling

you will be tinselling

they will be tinselling

Future perfect

I will have tinselled

you will have tinselled

he/she/it will have tinselled

we will have tinselled

you will have tinselled

they will have tinselled

Future perfect continuous

I will have been tinselling

you will have been tinselling

he/she/it will have been tinselling

we will have been tinselling

you will have been tinselling

they will have been tinselling

The future is used to express circumstances that will occur at a later time.

CONDITIONAL

Conditional

I would tinsel

you would tinsel

he/she/it would tinsel

we would tinsel

you would tinsel

they would tinsel

Conditional continuous

I would be tinselling

you would be tinselling

he/she/it would be tinselling

we would be tinselling

you would be tinselling

they would be tinselling

Conditional perfect

I would have tinsel

you would have tinsel

he/she/it would have tinsel

we would have tinsel

you would have tinsel

they would have tinsel

Conditional perfect continuous

I would have been tinselling

you would have been tinselling

he/she/it would have been tinselling

we would have been tinselling

you would have been tinselling

they would have been tinselling

Conditional or "future-in-the-past" tense refers to hypothetical or possible actions.

IMPERATIVE

Imperative

you tinsel
we let´s tinsel
you tinsel

The imperative is used to form commands or requests.

NONFINITE VERB FORMS

Infinitive

to tinsel

Past participle

tinselled

Present Participle

tinselling

Infinitive shows the action beyond temporal perspective. The present participle or gerund shows the action during the session. The past participle shows the action after completion.

SYNONYMS OF «TINSEL»

The following words have a similar or identical meaning as «tinsel» and belong to the same grammatical category.

synonyms of tinsel

cheap · flashy · gaudy · gimcrack · meretricious · ostentatious · pinchbeck · plastic · sham · showy · specious · superficial · tawdry · trashy

TRANSLATION OF TINSEL

Find out the translation of tinsel to 25 languages with our English multilingual translator.

The translations of tinsel from English to other languages presented in this section have been obtained through automatic statistical translation; where the essential translation unit is the word «tinsel» in English.

• Translator English - Chinese: 金属箔
• Translator English - Spanish: cintilla de colores
• English: tinsel
• Translator English - Hindi: चमकी
• Translator English - Arabic: بَهْرَجَان
• Translator English - Russian: мишура
• Translator English - Portuguese: enfeite de ouropel
• Translator English - Bengali: রাংতা
• Translator English - French: guirlande
• Translator English - Malay: Tinsel
• Translator English - German: Lametta
• Translator English - Japanese: ティンセル
• Translator English - Korean: 장식용 금속 조각
• Translator English - Javanese: Tinsel
• Translator English - Vietnamese: dây kim tuyến
• Translator English - Tamil: ஜிகினா
• Translator English - Marathi: कथील
• Translator English - Turkish: gelin teli
• Translator English - Italian: orpello
• Translator English - Polish: błyskotka
• Translator English - Ukrainian: мішура
• Translator English - Romanian: beteală
• Translator English - Greek: ταινία από αλουμινόχαρτο
• Translator English - Afrikaans: klatergoud
• Translator English - Swedish: glitter
• Translator English - Norwegian: glitter

5 QUOTES WITH «TINSEL»

Famous quotes and sentences with the word tinsel.

1

Tony Curran

I miss family and friends, and I'd like to get back to work more in Scotland, and do more things like theatre and 'Red Road.' But over here you have the beach and the mountains and the climate. A lot of people diss L.A. as being all tinsel town, fake this and fake that, but a place is only as good as the people you know.

2

Oscar Levant

Strip away the phony tinsel of Hollywood and you'll find the real tinsel underneath.

3

Oscar Levant

Behind the phony tinsel of Hollywood lies the real tinsel.

4

Robert Musil

Time, which runs through the world like an endless tinsel thread, seemed to pass through the centre of this room and through the centre of these people and suddenly to pause and petrify, stiff, still and glittering... and the objects in the room drew a little closer together.

5

Simon Van Booy

Grief is a room without doors - but somehow, with its tinsel and cliches, Christmas finds a way in.

10 ENGLISH BOOKS RELATING TO «TINSEL»

Discover the use of tinsel in the following bibliographical selection. Books relating to tinsel and brief extracts from same to provide context of its use in English literature.

Tinsel: A Search for America's Christmas Present

A heartfelt, hilarious look at the evolution of a half-trillion-dollar American holiday Hank Stuever turns his unerring eye for the idiosyncrasies of modern life to Frisco, Texas, a suburb at once all-American and completely itself, to tell ...

Hank Stuever, 2009

Blood & Tinsel: A Memoir

Whether recounting conversations with Lou Reed, giving us the inside story about Rocky Horror or describing a fateful meeting with Patrick White, Jim Sharman casts a brilliant story of the people and events that have shaped the times.

Jim Sharman, 2008

Tied Up In Tinsel

The Christmas eve Druid Pageant at Hilary Bill-Tasman's manor turns deadly when one of the players disappears into the snowy night, and the hired help turns out to be paroled murderers from the local prison. Reprint.

Ngaio Marsh, 1999

Realism and Tinsel: Cinema and Society in Britain 1939-48

Looking at popular British film in the 1940s, Realism and Tinsel goes beyond the established histories of the Ealing Comedies to excavate a rich tradition of melodrama, morbid thrillers and costume pictures.

Robert Murphy, 2003

Tangled Tinsel

She's the cat's meow, and he's ready to pounce!

Vivian Arend, 2010

Terrier in the Tinsel

Shortly after Mandy and James find a stray Jack Russell terrier near Walton Cottage Hospital, they befriend a young patient, Charlie, who wants a dog for Christmas, and they try to find a way to bring Charlie and the terrier together.

Ben M. Baglio, 2004

Winter Wishes: Freeze Line\No Angel\Tangled Tinsel

Anthology includes: Tangled Tinsel by Vivian Arend No Angel by Vivi Andrews Freeze Line by Moira Rogers Stories also available for purchase separately. 97,000 words

Moira Rogers, Vivi Andrews, Vivian Arend, 2013

Cobweb Christmas: The Tradition of Tinsel

This Old World tale about the warmth and wonder of Christmas will leave children enchanted with the magical possibilities of the season.

Shirley Climo, 2001

Tooth Fairy Trouble Hits Tinsel Tooth Town

What could she do with all of those teeth? Tilly didn't know what to do, but she had to do something soon because if she didn't... the people of Tinsel Tooth Town would have to pack up and move! Each night, Tilly traveled around the world and ...

Shannon Lynn, 2011

Tinsel My Heart

Becca Huntley's produced the Lyndale Park Players' over-the-top Christmas show for ten years.

Christi Barth, 2013

10 NEWS ITEMS WHICH INCLUDE THE TERM «TINSEL»

Find out what the national and international press are talking about and how the term tinsel is used in the context of the following news items.

Mr & Mrs Ajibade: More photos from Tinsel couple's white wedding …

Nollywood actor and actress and 'Tinsel' stars Osas Ighodaro and Gbenro Ajibade are basically the couple of the year going by all the fuss their union has ... «Pulse Nigeria, Jul 15»

Why I left Tinsel –Chris Attoh

Over the years, Chris has been known on the screen as Kwame Mensha on Tinsel, Nii in Shuga, Jay in Single and married and Umar in Flower girl. Chris is ... «Daily Sun, May 15»

Tinsel Stars, Osas Ighodaro And Gbenro Ajibade Set to Wed In June

Tinsel stars Osas Ighodaro and Gbenro Ajibade,have finally set the date of their wedding. According to the invitations they sent out to their guest, the traditional ... «Daily Times Nigeria, May 15»

Sia Performs in Colorful Tinsel Headdress Because She 'Forgot the …

Sia became famous for her powerful voice, but the fame that followed prompted her to only perform beneath her trademark platinum blond wig, which hides her ... «People Magazine, Apr 15»

Chicken found covered in paint and tinsel

The chicken - which also had tinsel wrapped around its beak - was found by a member of the public on Oakland Terrace, Rhymney. The spread of paint ... «ITV News, Jan 15»

I Just Tried Out 'Hair Tinsel,' The Trendy New Accessory That Makes …

No, it's not fairy dust —it's hair tinsel, a thin, lightweight ribbon that you knot into your hair part. The beauty trend has been sported by glitter queens Ke$ha and ... «Business Insider, Dec 14»

Police arrest 9 in “Tinsel Town” drug push

WYOMING COUNTY, N.Y. (WIVB) — A drug initiative by the Wyoming County Sheriff's Office called operation “Tinsel Town” has led to nine arrests within a span ... «wivb.com, Dec 14»

WATCH: Miley Cyrus Dances At Christmas Party In Green Pasties …

Miley Cyrus got into the Christmas spirit in her own unique way over the weekend, partying in Oklahoma City wearing a full elf costume, a silver tinsel wig, ... «Gossip Cop, Dec 14»

Tinsel, Christmas Tree Decoration, Once Caused Lead Poisoning In …

Tinsel, the shiny, paper-like decoration that families draped around their trees each Christmas contained lead at the time, putting the health and safety of young ... «Medical Daily, Dec 14»

Tinsel Tales 3: NPR Christmas Stories

In keeping with a well-loved NPR holiday tradition, Lynn Neary hosts a collection of extraordinary Christmas stories that will transport you to unexpected places. «NPR, Dec 14»