Whalebone (Noun)
Meaning
A horny material from the upper jaws of certain whales; used as the ribs of fans or as stays in corsets.
Classification
Nouns denoting substances.
Examples
- The old lady took out her grandmother's antique fan, its delicate silk stretched over a framework of stiff whalebone.
- In the 19th century, women's corsets were stiffened with whalebone, restricting their movement but creating a fashionable hourglass figure.
- The designer created a stunning underwater-themed gown, using whalebone as a creative element to give the skirt an undulating shape.
- The historic garments on display included a beautifully preserved 18th-century corset, its whalebone stays painstakingly preserved by conservators.
- Restoring antique fans was a specialty of the craftsman, who used traditional techniques and materials, including whalebone ribs.