Mantua
/ˈmæn.tʃu.ə/noun
A loose, flowing woman's gown worn in the 17th and 18th centuries.
Did you know?Mantua is named after the Italian city of Mantua, showing how elite fashion often turned geography into glamour.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Roman
Latin
Mantua
“The city of Mantua in northern Italy”
17th Century
English
mantua
“A woman's loose gown or wrapper, often with a trained skirt”
18th Century
English
mantua
“A fashionable outer gown worn over stays and petticoats”
Modern English
English
mantua
“A historical term for a woman's gown of the 17th and 18th centuries”