festoon fe-ˈstün verb and noun
verb: decorate or adorn
verb: decorate with strings of flowers
noun: an embellishment consisting of a decorative representation of a string of flowers suspended between two points; used on pottery or in architectural work
noun: a curtain of fabric draped and bound at intervals to form graceful curves
noun: flower chains suspended in curves between points as a decoration
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The word festoon has appeared in three articles on NYTimes.com in the past year, including on Jan. 31 in “36 Hours in St. Moritz” by Laura Rysman:
For snacks and hot chocolate, stop by the Kulm Country Club, a storied chalet recently remodeled by Norman Foster, a part-time St. Moritz resident who also designed the timber-shingled blob that is the Chesa Futura private residence (the most arrestingly contemporary architecture in town). The club overlooks the plein-air ice-skating rink in the Olympic Park, which offers skate rentals for 22 Swiss francs. It’s filled with contemporary furnishings and vintage relics of local sports: Wooden bobsleds line the ceiling, old ski poles mark the doors and black-and-white photos of St. Moritz’s Olympic competitions festoon the walls.
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