fabric

American  

[fab-rik] / ˈfæb rɪk /

noun

1. a cloth made by weaving, knitting, or felting fibers.

   woolen fabrics.

2. the texture of the woven, knitted, or felted material.

   cloth of a soft, pliant fabric.

3. framework; structure.

   the fabric of society.

4. a building; edifice.

5. the method of construction.

6. the act of constructing, especially of a church building.

7. the maintenance of such a building.

8. Petrography. the spatial arrangement and orientation of the constituents of a rock.

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fabric British  

/ ˈfæbrɪk /

noun

1. any cloth made from yarn or fibres by weaving, knitting, felting, etc

2. the texture of a cloth

3. a structure or framework

   the fabric of society

4. a style or method of construction

5. rare a building

6. the texture, arrangement, and orientation of the constituents of a rock

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Etymology

Origin of fabric

1475–85; (< Middle French fabrique ) < Latin fabrica craft, especially metalworking or building, workshop. See forge ¹

Example Sentences

Phan credits his first interest in fabrics to his parents' curtain shop, where material was always abundant.

From Barron's

Now such groups have become part of the community’s fabric, O’Hara said.

From The Wall Street Journal

When she stepped onto the runway, draped in fabric and confidence, her prosthetic gleaming under the spotlights, the room shifted.

From BBC

Throughout, she and Ms. Halvorson create delightful sonic contrasts; it’s like seeing someone wear fabrics and patterns that should clash but instead work together to enlightening effect.

From The Wall Street Journal

Ben says most books have mainstream society’s misguided ideas about how a life should be lived written right into the fabric of their stories.

From Literature

Related Words

• fiber
• goods
• textile
• texture