drapery

American  

[drey-puh-ree] / ˈdreɪ pə ri /

noun

plural

draperies

1. coverings, hangings, clothing, etc., of fabric, especially as arranged in loose, graceful folds.

2. Often draperies. long curtains, usually of heavy fabric and often designed to open and close across a window.

3. the draping or arranging of hangings, clothing, etc., in graceful folds.

4. Art. hangings, clothing, etc., as represented in sculpture or painting.

5. cloths or textile fabrics collectively.

6. British.

   1. dry goods.

   2. the stock, shop, or business of a draper.

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drapery British  

/ ˈdreɪpərɪ /

noun

1. fabric or clothing arranged and draped

2. (often plural) curtains or hangings that drape

3. the occupation or shop of a draper

4. fabrics and cloth collectively

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Other Word Forms

• draperied
  adjective
• undraperied
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of drapery

1250–1300; Middle English draperie < Old French, equivalent to drap cloth + -erie -ery

Example Sentences

In the large market town of Northampton, a department store known as Adnitts - owned by the Adnitt Brothers - first opened on the Drapery in 1871.

From BBC • May 15, 2025

Drapery, he said, is “one of the most important parts of an interior’s layers.”

From Seattle Times • Nov. 8, 2023

“We would have been busy anyway, because this is when we prepare for Thanksgiving and Christmas,” said Dale Forbes, a co-owner of Chicago Upholstery and Drapery.

From Slate • Oct. 15, 2021

In 2002 Ms. Hollander helped organize an exhibition at the National Gallery in London, “Fabric of Vision: Dress and Drapery in Painting,” for which she also wrote the catalog.

From New York Times • Jul. 8, 2014

Figures for Ceiling for Music Room, previous to the Drapery being added, 1886 276 57.

From The Life, Letters and Work of Frederic Leighton Volume I by Barrington, Mrs. Russell

Related Words

• decoration
• drape
• screen
• shade
• shroud
• shutter
• veil