It's Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 6th.
Today's word is Baleage, spound B-A-L-A-Y-A-G-E.
Baleage is a noun.
It's a technique by which a colorist creates highlights or lowlights in a person's hair by painting freehand using long sweeping strokes.
Baleage may also refer to the highlights or lowlights produced by this technique.
Here's the word used in a sentence from Southern Living.
Freshen up a classic mid-length brunette base with golden face-framing baleage.
Your local salon probably has a bounty of tonsorial options to choose from,
including highlights, lowlights, frosting, streaking, foil's gloss.
The list goes on.
If it's a trendy look you're after, you might consider balayage,
a technique
for creating highlights or lowlights in a person's hair by painting color freehand using long sweeping strokes.
Balayage is a French borrowing that literally translates to sweeping.
when done properly, balayage results in a more natural look than other traditional methods.
The technique was developed in France in the 1970s and quickly made its way to the US.
While it was fashionable in the 70s,
the technique and the word that it refers to faded from use during the 1980s and 90s only to be rediscovered in the early 21st century.
With your word of the day, I'm Peter Sokolowski.
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