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cummerbund

Apparel
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

A broad waist sash, typically pleated, worn as part of formal men's evening dress (with a tuxedo), originating from Indian fashion, adding elegance and exotic flair to poetic descriptions.

Detailed Definition
The cummerbund is a garment that immediately signals formal evening occasions—balls, weddings, and galas—and its appearance in poetry often sets a scene of refined celebration or high society. Its pleats and stiffened front give it a crisp, sculptural quality, and its satin or silk fabric catches candlelight. In romantic poetry, a gentleman adjusting his cummerbund before approaching a lady can be a gesture of nervous preparation. Its origin in South Asian dress also lends it a subtle exoticism, and poets sometimes use it to evoke colonial contexts or cross-cultural encounters. The cummerbund's function is both practical (holding up trousers) and decorative, and its removal at the end of the evening signals a return to informal ease. Its bright colors—often black or burgundy—make it a precise visual marker.
Example
Example in poetry:
"She sate upon her Dobie, she heard the Nimmak hum, when all at once a cry arose, 'The Cummerbund is come!'" (Edward Lear, "The Cummerbund: An Indian Poem"); "The angry monster followed, and so (before assistance came) the Lady Fair was swallowed" (Lear); "They said, 'Hers was a dreadful fate!'" (Lear); "His cummerbund's pleats were as precise as the evening's choreography"; "The burgundy cummerbund cinched his waist like a commander's sash"; "She adjusted his cummerbund with the casual intimacy of long habit"
Additional Notes
The cummerbund is a garment that immediately signals formal evening occasions—balls, weddings, and galas—and its appearance in poetry often sets a scene of refined celebration or high society. Its pleats and stiffened front give it a crisp, sculptural quality, and its satin or silk fabric catches candlelight, making it a precise visual marker. In romantic poetry, a gentleman adjusting his cummerbund before approaching a lady can be a gesture of nervous preparation. Its origin in South Asian dress also lends it a subtle exoticism, and poets sometimes use it to evoke colonial contexts or cross-cultural encounters. The cummerbund's function is both practical (holding up trousers) and decorative, and its removal at the end of the evening signals a return to informal ease. Related terms include sash, belt, and obi. Students should note the cummerbund's specific association with white tie or black tie formality and its role in poems about performance, social ritual, and the performance of masculinity.
Also Known As
waist sash formal girdle evening band
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