Also 7 tiffanie, -enay, -eney, -inie, -iny, tifine, tifnie, tiphany, 7–9 tiffeny, 9 tiffney. [a. OF. tifinie (c. 1200), tiphanie (with 40 variants in Godefroy, s.v. Tifaigne):—L. theophania, THEOPHANY, applied to the Epiphany (see Du Cange). Sense 2 appears to be English only, and to have arisen about 1600; it is usually taken to be short for ‘Epiphany silk’ or ‘muslin’; but as to the reason of the name no evidence has been found. (Perhaps it was a fanciful name, with allusion to the sense ‘manifestation’: see quots. 1601, 1645 in 2.)]
† 1. The festival of the Epiphany or Twelfth Day (Jan. 6). Obs. (Scarcely an English use.)
[1292. Britton, II. xxi. § 2. Del comencement del Advent jekes as utaves de la Tiphanie [v.rr. Tiphayne, Epiphanie; trans. from the beginning of Advent until the Octaves of the Epiphany].
1323. in Tate, Househ. Ord. Edw. II., 62, margin. Le jour de la Tyffayne.]
a. 1633. Austin, Medit. (1635), 56. This is Twelfe day…. But more anciently and most properly it was called the Epiphany…. Our great grand Fathers … as the Legend sayes called it the Tiffany … we must know it signifies Apparition or Manifestation from above.
2. A kind of thin transparent silk; also a transparent gauze muslin, cobweb lawn: see also quots. 1882.
1601. Holland, Pliny, XI. xxii. I. 323. The invention of that fine silke, Tiffanie, Sarcenet, and Cypres, which instead of apparell to cover and hide, shew women naked through them.
1611. Cotgr., Gaze,… also (the sleight stuffe) Tiffanie.
a. 1625. Fletcher, Noble Gent., I. i. Let her haue Veluets, Tiffinies, Jewels, Pearls.
1645. Evelyn, Diary, June. [Venetian ladies], their sleeves…, shewing their naked armes, thro’ false sleeves of tiffany.
1671. Skinner, Etymol., Tiffeny, Sericum tenuissimum & mollissimum.
1682. Wheler, Journ. Greece, I. 64. Silken Vail, as thin as Tiphany.
1685. Lond. Gaz., No. 2001/4. 33 Yards of Black Tiffeney for Mourning Scarves.
1718. Lady M. W. Montagu, Lett. to C’tess Mar, 10 March. The table-cloth and napkins … were all tiffany, embroidered with silk and gold.
1788. Mrs. Sherwood, in Life (1847), v. 63. A shepherdess’s hat, of pale blue silver tiffany.
1796. Mrs. Glasse, Cookery, xxi. 325. Good clear isinglass … tied up in a piece of thin tiffany.
1882. Beck, Draper’s Dict., Tiffany … a kind of transparent gauze stiffened with gum, still produced for employment in the production of artificial flowers.
1882. Caulfeild & Saward, Dict. Needlework, Tiffany, a thin description of semi-transparent silk textile, resembling gauze. Ibid., Tiffeny, a description of muslin, of open make,… employed for Needle Embroidery.
b. An article made of tiffany, as a head-dress, a garment, a sieve, etc.
1606. Warner, Alb. Eng., XVI. ci. (1612), 400. Fannes, Tifnies, Maskes, Bongraces.
c. 1620. T. Robinson, Mary Magd., I. 423. A tiffany shee wore about her head, Hanginge submissely to her shoulders white.
1788. W. Marshall, Yorksh., Gloss., Tiffany, a fine gauze sieve, for separating fine flour.
1882. J. Lucas, Stud. Nidderdale, 15. Flour … separated from the bran by being worked through a hair-sieve tiffany, or temse.
c. fig.
a. 1624. Bp. M. Smith, Serm. (1632), 132. Put on the silke of honesty, the tiffiny (as it were) of sanctimony, and the purple of chastity.
1650. B., Discolliminium, 36. As a wel-wrought piece of tiffany or sophistry, but not as a sound Logicall or Theologicall Webbe.
1651. Biggs, New Disp., ¶ 250. From the Tiffany and thinner dresse of a vapour.
1829. T. Hook, Bank to Barnes, 86. The trumpery tiffany of drawing-room tittle-tattle.
d. attrib. or as adj. Made of or resembling tiffany; fig. ‘transparent,’ flimsy. e. Comb. as tiffany-trader.
1608. Dekker, 2nd Pt. Honest Wh., II. i. Wks. 1873, II. 119. As arrant a whore as euer stiffned tiffany neckcloathes in water-starch.
1626. Faithf. Friends, I. ii. This tiffany-trader wants customers.
1658. R. Franck, North. Mem. (1821), 48. It’s a tiffany plot; any man with half an eye may easily see through it.
1664. H. Power, Exp. Philos., I. 30. Another pair of filmy Tiffany long wings, like those of Flyes.
1699. Evelyn, Acetaria (1729), 174. Stamp it as small as to pass thro’ a fine Tiffany Sieve.
1703. Mrs. Centlivre, Beau’s Duel, II. ii. Whose tiffany natures are so easily impos’d upon.
1823. Lamb, Elia, Ser. II. New-Y.’s coming of age. Twelfth Day … came in a tiffany suit, white and gold.
