Crinoline

krin′o-lin, n. a name originally given by the French modistes to a stiff fabric of horse-hair, employed to distend women's attire: a hooped petticoat or skirt made to project all round by means of steel-wire: a netting round ships as a guard against torpedoes.— n. Crin′olette , a small crinoline causing the dre to project behind only—akin to the bustle and dre -improver .— adj. Crin′olined . [Fr., crin —L. crinis , hair, and lin —L. linum , flax.]