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A.Word.A.Day--vandyke

This week's theme: words related to beards.

Vandyke or Van Dyke or vandyke (van dyk) noun

A short, pointed beard.

[After painter Anthony Van Dyck or Vandyke (1599-1641) who painted portraits of people having these v-shaped beards.]

A painting by Anthony Van Dyck showing a vandyke.

See more usage examples of vandyke in Vocabulary.com's dictionary.

"And, a young man with a Van Dyke and kinte cloth shorts was Dirt Devil-ing the floor around a mannequin in one of the few windows in which mannequins were dressed."
Frank DeCaro; Barneys Countdown: It's Retailing, Not a Revolution; Newsday (New York); Sep 8, 1993.

"The Van Dyke, however, is shaped like a V and comes to a sharp point. It usually, but not always, has a mustache with it, suitable for twirling."
Jim Kershner; Is it Too Late to Jump on Goatee Trend?; The Spokesman Review (Spokane, Washington); Jun 15, 1996.

X-Bonus