Meaning & use
sequins
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“sequins” is a form of “sequin”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meaning
nounusually plural
Small, shiny discs sewn onto clothes or accessories as decoration.
Grammar: Usually plural when talking about the decoration as a whole; the singular 'sequin' refers to one disc.
Patterns
- covered in sequins
- sew on sequins
- a sequin dress
Her dress was covered in silver sequins that sparkled under the lights.
The costume designer sewed sequins onto the dancer's skirt.
He wore a jacket with gold sequins to the party.
Word forms
| singular | sequin |
|---|
Common combinations
- covered in sequins
- The evening gown was completely covered in sequins.
- sew on sequins
- She carefully sewed on sequins one by one.
- sequin dress
- She bought a red sequin dress for the concert.
- gold sequins
- The costume had gold sequins that caught the light.
Synonyms and how they differ
- spangles
- Spangles are also small shiny decorations, but the word is less common and often refers to slightly larger, more dangling pieces.
- beads
- Beads are small decorative objects, but they are usually round and not necessarily shiny; sequins are flat and reflective.
Word family
- sequined adjective
- Decorated with sequins, as in 'a sequined top'.
Practice
Choose the correct sentence:
Choose one answer.
When talking about the decoration as a material, we use the plural 'sequins' without an article. Option 1 uses the singular incorrectly; option 2 uses 'a' with a plural; option 3 uses 'the' unnecessarily.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “sequins”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.