a. and sb. Also 7 clinkant, -cquant, -ckant, -cant. [a. F. clinquant clinking, tinkling, pr. pple. of obs. vb. clinquer, a. Du. klinken to clink, ring. Found in 15th c. in or clinquant gold in thin plates, leaf-gold.]
A. adj. Glittering with gold or silver, and hence with metallic imitations of these; tinselled, ‘dressed in spangles’ (J.).
1591. Sylvester, Battail of Ivry, 184. Hee doth not nicely prank In clinquant Pomp … But arm’d in Steel.
1613. Shaks., Hen. VIII., I. i. 19. The French, All Clinquant all in Gold, like Heathen Gods Shone downe the English.
1623. Fletcher & Rowley, Maid Mill, V. ii. A clinquant petticoat of some rich stuff, To catch the eye.
1635. Brome, Sparagus Garden, III. v. Courtiers Clinquant, and no counterfeit stuffe upon ’hem.
1658. Osborn, Adv. Son (1673), 200. A gentile Garb and decent Habit: yet … not Clinckant or Rich, since Gold lace, Rings or Jewels, hath not seldom rendred Travellers the prey of Braves and Murderers.
1676. Shadwell, Virtuoso, III. i. 35. Fine Sparks … very clinquant, slight, and bright, and make a very pretty show at first; but the Tincel-Gentleman do so tarnish in the wearing.
1839. Fraser’s Mag., XIX. Jan., 115. In ‘clinquant gold’ the sovereign sun walks round.
b. fig.
1613. Chapman, Masque Inns Crt., Plays, 1873, III. 110. Inure thy souldiers to hardnes, tis honorable, though not clinkant.
1682. Shadwell, Medal, Ep. A b. He has an easiness in Rime, and a knack at Versifying, and can make a slight thing seem pretty and clinquant.
B. sb. [Fr. clinquant was short for or clinquant, and originally meant real gold in leaf or thin plates, used for decorative purposes. Thence it was extended to imitations.]
1. Imitation of gold leaf; tinsel; Dutch gold.
1691. Ray, N. C. Wds., Clincquant, brass thinly wrought out into leaves.
1874. Knight, Dict. Mech., I. 65/2. s.v. Alloy, Clinquant, same as yellow copper, Dutch gold.
2. Literary or artistic ‘tinsel,’ false glitter.
1711. Addison, Spect., No. 5, ¶ 5. I … agree with Monsieur Boileau, that one Verse in Virgil is worth all the Clincant or Tinsel of Tasso [le clinquant du Tasse].
1762–71. H. Walpole, Vertue’s Anecd. Paint. (1786), III. 27. Lely supplied the want of taste with clinquant.
1839. Fraser’s Mag., XIX. Jan., 65/2. The worst portion of the silly bits of clinquant strung together, and called gems of beauty.
