texture

American  

[teks-cher] / ˈtɛks tʃər /

noun

• textures
  plural

1. the visual and especially tactile quality of a surface.

   rough texture.

2. the characteristic structure of the interwoven or intertwined threads, strands, or the like, that make up a textile fabric.

   coarse texture.

3. the characteristic physical structure given to a material, an object, etc., by the size, shape, arrangement, and proportions of its parts.

   soil of a sandy texture; a cake with a heavy texture.

4. an essential or characteristic quality; essence.

5. Fine Arts.

   1. the characteristic visual and tactile quality of the surface of a work of art resulting from the way in which the materials are used.

   2. the imitation of the tactile quality of represented objects.

6. the quality given, as to a musical or literary work, by the combination or interrelation of parts or elements.

7. a rough or grainy surface quality.

8. anything produced by weaving; woven fabric.

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verb (used with object)

textured, texturing

1. to give texture or a particular texture to.

2. to make by or as if by weaving.

texture British  

/ ˈtɛkstʃə /

noun

1. the surface of a material, esp as perceived by the sense of touch

   a wall with a rough texture

2. the structure, appearance, and feel of a woven fabric

3. the general structure and disposition of the constituent parts of something

   the texture of a cake

4. the distinctive character or quality of something

   the texture of life in America

5. the nature of a surface other than smooth

   woollen cloth has plenty of texture

6. art the representation of the nature of a surface

   the painter caught the grainy texture of the sand

7. 1. music considered as the interrelationship between the horizontally presented aspects of melody and rhythm and the vertically represented aspect of harmony

      a contrapuntal texture

   2. the nature and quality of the instrumentation of a passage, piece, etc

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verb

1. (tr) to give a distinctive usually rough or grainy texture to

texture Scientific  

/ tĕks′chər /

1. The general physical appearance of a rock, especially with respect to the size, shape, size variability, and geometric arrangement of its mineral crystals (for igneous and metamorphic rocks) and of its constituent elements (for sedimentary rocks). A sandstone that forms as part of an eolian (wind-blown) deposit, for example, has a texture that reflects its small, rounded sand grains of uniform size, while a sandstone that formed as part of a fluvial deposit has a texture reflecting the presence of grains of varying sizes, with some more rounded than others.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• retexture
  verb (used with object)
• nontextural
  adjective
• semitextural
  adjective
• textural
  adjective
• textureless
  adjective
• untextural
  adjective
• nontexturally
  adverb
• semitexturally
  adverb
• texturally
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• textures
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of texture

1400–50; late Middle English < Latin textūra web, equivalent to text ( us ) (past participle of texere to weave) + -ūra -ure

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Explanation

Texture is the physical feel of something — smooth, rough, fuzzy, slimy, and lots of textures something in between. Sandpaper is very rough — it has a gritty, rough texture. Other things, like linoleum, have a smooth texture. Texture has to do with how an object feels and its ingredients. Texture is very important in clothes: a cotton shirt has a different texture than a polyester shirt. You can also talk about other kinds of texture, like musical texture. A symphony and a rock song have different instruments, so they have different textures.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

texture textures textured texturing

Every sight, smell and sound — even felt texture — may shape the conversation, shift mood, or spark an insight.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 29, 2026

The idea isn’t to make three versions of roughly the same thing, but to offer a little variety in texture, flavor and heft.

From Salon ● Oct. 20, 2026

Previously unseen footage from a much-loved episode of Only Fools and Horses will reveal more depth and texture to the characters of the classic British sitcom, the maker of a new documentary has said.

From BBC ● Oct. 20, 2026

It was the Crunchwrap texture that Vo most wanted to emulate in one of his restaurant’s grilled-cheese sandwiches.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026

He concentrated on the texture, the way it crumbled if he pressed it too hard.

From "Anger Is a Gift" by Mark Oshiro

I felt that those textures signaled … I hate using the word “dystopian,” but the dystopian future.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 21, 2026

Powered by Nintendo's Switch 2 console, the remake features far richer environments, upgraded textures and more detailed character models.

From Barron's ● Oct. 15, 2026

The genre is known for sweets with distinct shapes, tastes and textures, all of which are made without artificial coloring.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2026

This process can also transform the minerals and textures within the rock, a phenomenon known as metamorphism.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 11, 2026

Children can draw simple shapes and textures to express sounds and compositions that they’ve invented, or can read the work of another child who has written in this type of notation.

From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin

Meanwhile, the building’s interiors will draw inspiration from Miami’s tropical surroundings, incorporating greenery, natural woods, stone finishes, and textured materials to create a calming atmosphere.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 23, 2026

With impeccable sound design and an eerie score by Ryan and Hays Holladay, Cregger delivers a textured, wholly realized world.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 18, 2026

But the characterizations are too flimsy, the world only moderately textured.

From Salon ● Aug. 26, 2026

"My skin feels dull and textured and just looks more tired in general, and my chest feels heavier and sore."

From BBC ● Aug. 3, 2026

It was manywhite and thick and textured, paint climbing on itself as if it wanted to get away from the canvas, away from the floor underneath the canvas, even.

From "Pet" by Akwaeke Emezi

"We think this texturing is a strong candidate for everyday use and we're ready to partner with companies to refine it for large-scale manufacturing," she said.

From Science Daily ● Apr. 22, 2026

“The texturing on the Lego brick does a really good job of antialiasing.”

From The Verge ● Aug. 20, 2022

“There was a certain amount of resiliency that made the texturing, I thought, ‘Wow that is what I had been missing,’ ” Jackson remembered.

From Seattle Times ● Dec. 24, 2020

He devoted himself to piano, keyboards and guitar, texturing his recorded work with blurry drone tones until sounds seem to bleed together.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 9, 2020

Art concepts include modeling, texturing, organic and inorganic work and unwrapping – which Gaber describes as figuring out where lines will go for filling in, "kind of like paint by numbers."

From US News ● Jan. 25, 2016

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Related Words

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• sense
• smoothness
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