witzchoura
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Pronunciation: ipa: /vɪtˈʃʊəɹə/
ipa: /vɪtˈʃʊɚɹə/
rhymes: -ʊəɹə
Forms: form: witzchouras
form: witchoura
form: witz-choura
Etymology: PIE word
 *wĺ̥kʷos
Borrowed from French witzchoura (obsolete), vitchoura (“witzchoura”), from Polish wilczura (“(archaic) wolfskin”), from wilczy (“wolf-like, lupine”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *wĺ̥kʷos (“wolf”)) + -ura (suffix forming feminine nouns).
Senses: examples: text: THE GREATEST NOVELTY IN DRESS FOR THE PRESENT PERIOD, is the ENGLISH WITZCHOURA, being the most indispensible^([sic]) appendage to Dress that can be conceived. It protects the wearer from the inclemencies of the weather—prevents dress from being deranged—and forms a most elegant and useful exterior covering for Evening Parties, the Theatre, Walking, or Riding. Its make is perfectly unique. A Chapeau Bras is attached to the Witzchoura, made in a very novel manner.
ref: 1817 January 1, “The Universal Advertising Sheet in La Belle Assemblee”, in La Belle Assemblée; being Bell’s Court and Fashionable Magazine (New and Improved Series), volume XIV, number 91, London: […] John Bell, […], →OCLC, page 41, column 1:
text: "I'll just wrap myself up, and be ready in an instant; that old yellow witzchoura," pointing to one that lay on a chair close by Mrs. Brayforth, "is all I shall put on," she was going to add; but that old lady screamed aloud, "'Old yellow witch houra!' call me an old witch indeed![…]"
ref: 1821, chapter X, in Scheming; […], volume III, London: Henry Colburn and Co., […], →OCLC, pages 160–161:
text: The loose Polonese sleeve, lined and trimmed with fur, was worn with Witzchouras: the sleeve underneath fitted close to the arm.
ref: 1826, “A Summary of the Fashions for the Last Six Months”, in Supplement to La Belle Assemblée, or Court and Fashionable Magazine (New Series), volume IV, London: Geo[rge] B[yrom] Whittaker, […]; Edinburgh: Oliver and Boyd, →OCLC, page 315:
text: This [the carriage dress], with some becoming alterations, is the Witzchoura-pelisse; and that which we have the pleasure of presenting a fac-simile of to our readers, is of light lavender satin, with a very broad border of ermine.
ref: 1828 December 31, “Fashions. Description of the Engravings.”, in The Lady’s Magazine; or, Mirror of the Belles-lettres, Fine Arts, Music, Drama, Fashions, &c., volume IX (New Series), London: […] John Merriman, […], →OCLC, page 666:
text: Mantles are still predominant in carriage dress, and a few witchouras have been introduced. This is a revived fashion, and, we believe, was originally a Russian one. The witchoura is a very ample mantle, made with a very deep collar, and cape, and long, loose sleeves. The mantle and sleeves are lined with fur, and if that is of a very expensive kind, the collar and cape are composed of it; but if not, velvet, or the material of the cloak, is employed for them.
ref: 1833, “The Ladies’ Toilet”, in The Ladies’ Pocket Magazine, part 1, London: Joseph Robins […], →OCLC, page 38:
text: Velvet "toques" were in favour; likewise velvet "witchouras," chinchilla muffs, bodices draped "à la Sévigné;" […]
ref: 1882, Augustin Challamel, “Reign of Louis XVIII. and Charles X. 1815 to 1830.”, in Mrs. Cashel Hoey, John Lillie, transl., The History of Fashion in France; or, The Dress of Women from the Gallo-Roman Period to the Present Time. […], London: Sampson Low, Marston, Searle, & Rivington, […], →OCLC, page 202:
text: Furs, especially ermine, were worn in profusion from 1810 to 1814; nothing was seen but robes lined with ermine, witzchouras, spencers, redingotes, ermine muffs; women covered themselves as much as they were formerly uncovered.
ref: 1886, Octave Uzanne, “The Grand Coquettes of the First Empire”, in The Frenchwoman of the Century: Fashions—Manners—Usages […], London: John C. Nimmo […], →OCLC, page 111:
text: Mantles with shawl patterns; the pelerine-cape is deeper with two points in front and one behind; the over cape is smaller in the form of a falling collar. Witzchoura Mantles revived (Winter).
ref: 1937, C[ecil] Willett Cunnington, “From Romance to Sentiment in the ’30’s”, in English Women’s Clothing in the Nineteenth Century […], New York, N.Y.: Dover Publications, published 2013, →ISBN, page 112:
text: The witchoura, or fur coat, continued in fashion, although the design of the sleeves, bodice, and skirt were modified to correspond to the changing silhouette of the gowns worn beneath.
ref: 1979, Marybelle S. Bigelow, “Romanticism and the Industrial Age (1815–1870)”, in Fashion in History: Western Dress, Prehistoric to Present, 2nd edition, Minneapolis, Minn.: Burgess Publishing Company, →ISBN, page 243, column 2:
text: The witzchouras, taking its name from central Europe, a sort of fur redingote-cum-overcoat, with a raised collar and fur hood had neither belt nor pleats and made its appearance in 1808.
ref: 1989, Philippe Séguy, “Costume in the Age of Napoleon”, in Katell le Bourhis, editor, The Age of Napoleon: Costume from Revolution to Empire 1789–1815, New York, N.Y.: The Metropolitan Museum of Art; Harry N. Abrams, →ISBN, page 106:
text: During the Napoleonic Era (1799–1815) in Europe, women's fashions abandoned the inside pocket for the columnar chemise dress and Polish Witzchoura mantle, a fur-edged cloak with open sleeves.
ref: 2014, Mary Ellen Snodgrass, “Pockets”, in World Clothing and Fashion: An Encyclopedia of History, Culture, and Social Influence, volume 2, Abingdon, Oxfordshire; New York, N.Y.: Routledge, published 2015, →ISBN, page 458:
text: Meanwhile, from Russia French women adopted "witz-chouras," or fur-lined (usually wolf) coats.
ref: 2018, Christine Haynes, “Cosmopolitanism”, in Our Friends the Enemies: The Occupation of France after Napoleon, Cambridge, Mass.; London: Harvard University Press, →ISBN, part II (Friends?), page 193:
glosses: A woman's fur-lined cloak, mantle, or pelisse with large sleeves, worn during the early 19th century.