peruke

UK: /pəˈruːk/ US: (pə ro̅o̅k′)

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

pe•ruke  (pə ro̅o̅k′), n. 

1. a man's wig of the 17th and 18th centuries, usually powdered and gathered at the back of the neck with a ribbon;
   periwig.

• Middle French perruque head of hair, wig, of disputed origin, originally
• 1540–50

pe•ruked′, adj. 
pe•ruke′less, adj. 

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

peruke / pəˈruːk/ noun

1. a type of wig for men, fashionable in the 17th and 18th centuries
   Also called: periwig

Etymology: 16th Century: from French perruque, from Italian perrucca wig, of obscure origin