chopine
Definition
Noun: A type of elevated shoe or overshoe with a very high, thick platform sole, historically worn by women in Europe from the 15th to 17th centuries to protect their feet from street mud and to signify status.
Usage
The word "chopine" refers specifically to the historical footwear item. It is used in historical, fashion, and academic contexts. * The museum's costume exhibit featured a pair of ornate 16th-century chopines. * Walking in chopines required great skill and balance.
Advanced Usage
- Cultural Significance: Beyond practicality, the height of a chopine was often directly correlated with the wearer's social rank.
- In Renaissance Venice, the height of one's chopine was a clear indicator of wealth and status.
Variants and Related Words
- Platform shoe (n): A modern shoe with a thick, uniform sole, considered a descendant of the chopine.
- Pattens (n): A different type of historical protective overshoe, often with a raised metal ring, worn outdoors.
Synonyms
- Elevated shoe
- Platform shoe (modern equivalent)
Related Phrases/Idioms
- To be on one's high chopines: This is not a standard idiom. However, one might creatively adapt the common idiom "to be on one's high horse" (to be haughty or arrogant) in a historical context to describe someone acting superior, much like the imposing stature conferred by wearing chopines.
- Ever since her husband's promotion, she's been on her high chopines, looking down on the neighbors. (Stylized, non-standard usage).
Noun
-
a woman's shoe with a very high thick sole
