ciré

noun

ci·​ré sə-ˈrā 

sē-

variants or less commonly cire

1

: a highly glazed finish for fabrics usually achieved by applying wax to the fabric

2

: a fabric or garment with a ciré finish

Examples of ciré in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The works showed mastery of the cire perdue technique, used by Renaissance sculptors to cast molten metal using waxed molds. —Tunku Varadarajan, WSJ, 4 June 2021

This form of cire perdue allowed him to create many of his elaborated molds of spiraling 18-carat gold (mixed to his own specifications to a warm, but not over-warm, tone) in one movement, before putting them in cold water to set. —Eve MacSweeney, Vogue, 1 June 2018

Word History

Etymology

French, from past participle of cirer to wax, from cire wax, from Old French, from Latin cera — more at cerumen

First Known Use

1921, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

ciré

noun

ci·​ré sə-ˈrā 

: a shiny fabric that looks wet

Etymology

French, literally, "waxed"