Meaning & use
brilliantine
Last updated
Meanings
noununcountableold-fashioned
A greasy liquid or cream that people rub into their hair to make it shine and lie flat.
Grammar: Uncountable: use it without an or an, as in a jar of brilliantine.
Patterns
- a bottle of brilliantine
- put brilliantine on something
- smell of brilliantine
My grandfather kept a jar of brilliantine on the shelf and smoothed it through his hair every morning.
The barber offered him brilliantine, but he said he preferred his hair dry and natural.
In old photographs from the 1930s, the dancers' hair shines with brilliantine.
noununcountableold-fashionedrare
A shiny, smooth fabric made from cotton or wool, sometimes used for coats and suits.
Grammar: Uncountable and now rare; usually found in older descriptions of clothing.
Patterns
- a brilliantine coat
- made of brilliantine
The museum displayed a brilliantine jacket from the 1890s with a deep sheen.
She wore a dark brilliantine coat that caught the light as she walked.
Common combinations
- a jar of brilliantine
- He bought a jar of brilliantine at the old pharmacy on the corner.
- put brilliantine on your hair
- He put brilliantine on his hair before the dance.
- smell of brilliantine
- The barbershop always smelled of brilliantine and shaving soap.
- smooth brilliantine through something
- She smoothed brilliantine through her curls to keep them tidy.
- a brilliantine coat
- In the photograph he is wearing a brilliantine coat with wide lapels.
Synonyms and how they differ
- pomade
- Pomade is the more current word for a similar greasy hair product and is still used in shops today.
- hair oil
- Hair oil is the plain everyday term and covers lighter oils as well as heavy shiny products.
- brylcreem
- Brylcreem is a brand name for a similar men's hair cream, so it fits only when you mean that specific product.
Commonly confused: brilliantine or brilliant? brilliantine or brilliant cut?
brilliantine vs brilliant
Brilliant is an adjective meaning very bright or very good, and it is a completely different word with a different ending.
brilliantine vs brilliant cut
A brilliant cut is a way of cutting a diamond; it has nothing to do with hair or cloth.
Practice
Which sentence uses brilliantine correctly?
Choose one answer.
Brilliantine is an uncountable noun for a hair product, so some brilliantine on his hair works. Option 0 fails because an uncountable noun does not take a. Option 2 uses a plural verb with an uncountable noun. Option 3 invents a verb and changes the meaning.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “brilliantine”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.