Zibellino
/ˌzɪbəˈliːnoʊ/noun
A sable pelt, especially one formerly worn as a fashionable fur accessory.
Did you know?In Renaissance Europe, zibellini were often worn as fur-trimmed accessories, sometimes with jeweled heads and feet, transforming a dead sable into an ostentatious charm of elite fashion.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Slavic
Proto-Slavic
*sǫbolь
“Sable, the valuable fur-bearing animal”
Medieval Latin
Latin
sabellum
“Sable; a term used for the animal or its fur”
Old High German
Old High German
zobel
“Sable, borrowed from a Slavic term”
Middle High German
Middle High German
zobel
“Sable fur”
Renaissance Italian
Italian
zibellino
“Sable fur or a small sable pelt, formed with the Italian diminutive ending -ino”
16th Century
English
zibellino
“A sable skin worn as a luxury ornament or accessory”
Modern English
English
zibellino
“A sable pelt, especially one used as a fashion accessory”