pompadour, style of dressing the hair in which the front hair is rolled back and the side hair up to meet it in a roll that is drawn high over the forehead; also a type of bodice that is cut square and low over the bosom. The styles were introduced by Madame de Pompadour, mistress of King Louis XV of France, and was imitated by members of his court. Dressing the hair with a pompadour was favoured in the early 20th century. Men brushed the front hair back, and women used pads or other devices in order to create the raised pompadour, thereby creating the illusion of a mass of puffy hair.