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Tinsel vs Garland - What's the difference?

tinsel | garland |

In transitive terms the difference between tinsel and garland

is that tinsel is to adorn with tinsel; to deck out with cheap but showy ornaments; to make gaudy while garland is to form something into a garland.

As an adjective tinsel

is glittering, later especially superficially so; gaudy, showy.

As a proper noun Garland is

{{surname|A=An|occupational|from=occupations}} for a maker or seller of garlands.

tinsel

English

Noun

(-)
  • A shining material used for ornamental purposes; especially, a very thin, gauzelike cloth with much gold or silver woven into it; also, very thin metal overlaid with a thin coating of gold or silver, brass foil, or the like.
  • * :
    • Who can discern the tinsel from the gold?
  • * {{quote-book, year=1963, author=(Margery Allingham)
    • , title=(The China Governess) , chapter=Foreword citation , passage=He stood transfixed before the unaccustomed view of London at night time, a vast panorama which reminded him […] of some wood engravings far off and magical, in a printshop in his childhood. They dated from the previous century and were coarsely printed on tinted paper, with tinsel outlining the design.}}
  • Very thin strips of a glittering, metallic material used as a decoration, and traditionally, draped at Christmas time over streamers, paper chains and the branches of Christmas trees.
  • Anything shining and gaudy; something superficially shining and showy, or having a false luster, and more gay than valuable.
  • * :
    • O happy peasant! O unhappy bard! His the mere tinsel , hers the rich reward.

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Glittering, later especially superficially so; gaudy, showy.
  • * 1590 , (Edmund Spenser), The Faerie Queene , III.1:
    • Her garments all were wrought of beaten gold, / And all her steed with tinsell trappings shone [...].

    Verb

  • To adorn with tinsel; to deck out with cheap but showy ornaments; to make gaudy.
  • * :
    • She, tinseled o'er in robes of varying hues.
  • (figuratively) To give a false sparkle to (something).

    • Derived terms

    * tinseled, tinselled * tinselly * Tinseltown

    See also

    * trimmings * trim up

    References

    *

    Anagrams

    * * * * *

    garland

    English

    Noun

    (en noun) (wikipedia garland)
  • A wreath, especially one of plaited flowers or leaves, worn on the body or draped as a decoration.
    • (Alexander Pope)
  • An accolade or mark of honour.
  • (mining) A metal gutter placed round a mine shaft on the inside, to catch water running down inside the shaft and run it into a drainpipe.
  • The crown of a monarch.
    • (Grafton)
  • (dated) A book of extracts in prose or poetry; an anthology.
  • * Percy
    • They [ballads] began to be collected into little miscellanies under the name of garlands .
  • The top; the thing most prized.
    • (Shakespeare)
  • (nautical) A sort of netted bag used by sailors to keep provisions in.
  • (nautical) A grommet or ring of rope lashed to a spar for convenience in handling.

    • See also

    * chaplet

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To deck or ornament something with a garland
  • To form something into a garland