Pronunciations
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/ˈbʌf.ənt/
Pronunciation notes
- US
Noun
An item of neckwear (a neckerchief), usually of linen, gauze, or lace, worn around the neck and puffed out over the bosom, popular from the 1750s to 1790s.
Usage- Historical
- Examples
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A [...] white ribbon was tied round her scraggy neck, while a buffont attempted to cover her bosom as flat as a deal board, [...]
More examples (2)
[...] : a disproportion arising from the fact of the body being contrived for the admission of a buffont, a piece of dress composed of gauze, or fine linen, which was worn over the neck and breast, strutting out like the front of a pouting pigeon.
Even to his unpracticed eye, the stitching showed the results of a patient hand. A loudly expelled breath drew his attention to Belle Latchett. Her impressive bosom rose inside a plum-colored brocade dress. A buffont of white gauze trembled ...