noun
Mantua
MAN-too-uh
noun
1
A loose, elegant gown worn by women in 17th- and 18th-century Europe.
"The portrait showed her in a flowing silk mantua, fashionable for the era."
2
A fine silk fabric once made in the Italian city of Mantua.
"The curtains were said to be cut from genuine mantua imported from Italy."
How to Use Mantua
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA historical term for a style of women's dress and the luxury fabric associated with it — you'll mostly meet this word in costume history or period fiction.
Word Forms
mantuas plural
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The portrait showed her in a flowing silk _____, fashionable for the era.
Etymology
Named after Mantua, the Italian city once famous for producing this type of silk; the dress style later took the same name.