vogue

Etymology

First attested in 1565. Borrowed from Middle French vogue (“wave, course of success”), from Old French vogue, from voguer (“to row, sway, set sail”), from Old Saxon wogōn (“to sway, rock”), var. of wagōn (“to float, fluctuate”), from Proto-Germanic *wagōną (“to sway, fluctuate”) and Proto-Germanic *wēgaz (“water in motion”), from Proto-Germanic *weganą (“to move, carry, weigh”), from Proto-Indo-European *weǵʰ- (“to move, go, transport”) (compare way). Akin to Old Saxon wegan (“to move”), Old High German wegan (“to move”), Old English wegan (“to move, carry, weigh”), Old Norse vaga (“to sway, fluctuate”), Old English wagian (“to sway, totter”), German Woge (“wave”), Swedish våg (“wave”). More at wag. The dance derives its name from Vogue magazine.

noun

  1. The prevailing fashion or style.
    Miniskirts were the vogue in the '60s.
  2. Popularity or a current craze.
    Hula hoops are no longer in vogue.
    The rotation of nine years with two fallowings, which was formerly so much in vogue, is now seldom or never to be met with; it was, however, productive of very fine crops of corn on tenacious soils which require a great deal of tillage. 1860, Albrecht Daniel Thaer, The Principles of Practical Agriculture
  3. (dance">dance) A highly stylized modern dance">dance that evolved out of the Harlem ballroom scene in the 1960s.
  4. (Polari) A cigarette.
    Will you take a varder at the cartz on the feely-omi in the naf strides: the one with the bona blue ogles polarying the omi-palone with a vogue on and a cod sheitel. 1997, James Gardiner, Who's a Pretty Boy Then?, page 137

verb

  1. (intransitive) To dance in the vogue dance style.
    Tonight’s sumptuous two-hour gig butts up hard against the curfew. Minutes often go by during which Murphy dispenses entirely with the business of singing pop songs. She’ll vogue, or reanimate some acid house moves, letting the beat take over. September 25, 2021, Kitty Empire, “Róisín Murphy review – a triumphant dancefloor workout”, in The Guardian
  2. (Polari) To light a cigarette for (someone).
    Vogue me up.

Attribution / Disclaimer All definitions come directly from Wiktionary using the Wiktextract library. We do not edit or curate the definitions for any words, if you feel the definition listed is incorrect or offensive please suggest modifications directly to the source (wiktionary/vogue), any changes made to the source will update on this page periodically.