Did you know?
The noun festoon first appeared in the 1600s when it was used, as it still is today, to refer to decorative chains or strips hung between two points. (It can also refer to a carved, molded, or painted ornament representing such a chain.) After a century's worth of festoon-adorning, the verb festoon made an entrance, and people began to festoon with their festoons—that is, they draped and adorned with them. The verb form of festoon has since acquired additional, more general senses related not only to decorating, but to appearing on the surface of something, as in "a sweater festooned with unicorns." Perhaps unsurprisingly, this celebratory-sounding and party-associated word traces back (by way of French and Italian) to Latin festa, the plural of festum, meaning "festival."
Examples of festoon in a Sentence
Stephanie Petit, Peoplemag, 18 Oct. 2023
When the sun sets and all the guests arrive, the party starts in earnest, with emotional speeches and tables groaning with food in the garden outside, all lit by festoons of Christmas lights hung from the trees.
—Leslie Felperin, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 Feb. 2023
Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 May 2025
Kathy’s memorabilia held forth in various locations, most notably a bathroom festooned with lobby cards from her films.
—Alan K. Rode, Variety, 27 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for festoon
Cite this Entry
“Festoon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/festoon. Accessed 7 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
festoon
1 of 2 noun
festoon
2 of 2 verb
Share