Meaning & use
bottillons
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Meanings
nounusually pluralrare
Short close-fitting boots that end at or just above the ankle, especially the soft kind worn for dancing, riding or historical costume.
Grammar: Almost always used in the plural; a single one is called 'a bottillon' but that form is very rare.
Patterns
- a pair of bottillons
- wear bottillons
- bottillons in soft leather
The dancers wore black satin bottillons that reached just above the ankle.
She pulled on a pair of soft leather bottillons before stepping into the snow.
In the museum case there was a pair of eighteenth-century bottillons with small heels.
nounusually pluralrareold-fashioned
Ankle-high protective coverings for the lower leg, worn in some traditional or ceremonial uniforms.
Grammar: Used in the plural to talk about the pair as a single item of kit.
Patterns
- ceremonial bottillons
- a soldier's bottillons
The guard's ceremonial bottillons were polished until they shone.
Old paintings show officers in white breeches and dark bottillons.
Word forms
| singular | bottillon |
|---|
Common combinations
- a pair of bottillons
- He bought a pair of bottillons for the costume party.
- soft leather bottillons
- Soft leather bottillons are kinder to the feet than stiff boots.
- wear bottillons
- The actors wear bottillons that copy the style of the 1700s.
- ankle-high bottillons
- Ankle-high bottillons keep the feet warm without covering the calf.
- laced bottillons
- Laced bottillons were common among dancers in the last century.
Synonyms and how they differ
- ankle boots
- The everyday modern term; use it in ordinary conversation, since 'bottillons' sounds old or bookish.
- bootees
- Refers to very short soft boots, often for babies or indoor wear, so it is softer and less formal than 'bottillons'.
- half-boots
- An older word for boots that stop at the ankle, close in meaning but not tied to dancing or costume.
Word family
Commonly confused: bottillons or bottles? bottillons or battalions?
bottillons vs bottles
A completely different word meaning containers for liquid; the spelling and sound are close, so check the ending.
bottillons vs battalions
Sounds similar but means large groups of soldiers, not items of footwear.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'bottillons' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Bottillons' is a plural noun for short ankle boots, so it fits as the thing dancers wear. Option A confuses it with 'bottles', option C treats it as a verb, and option D confuses it with 'battalions'.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “bottillons”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.