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  • moire
    moire
    noun
    any moiré fabric.
  • moiré
    moiré
    adjective
    (of silks and other fabrics) presenting a watery or wavelike appearance.

moire

1 American  
[mwahr, mawr, mohr] / mwɑr, mɔr, moʊr /

noun

  1. any moiré fabric.

moiré 2 American  
[mwah-rey, mawr-ey, mohr-ey, mwa-rey] / mwɑˈreɪ, ˈmɔr eɪ, ˈmoʊr eɪ, mwaˈreɪ /

adjective

  1. (of silks and other fabrics) presenting a watery or wavelike appearance.

noun

  1. a design pressed on silk, rayon, etc., by engraved rollers.

  2. any silk, rayon, etc., fabric with a watery or wavelike appearance.

  3. Printing. an interference pattern of dots appearing in the print of process color.

moiré 1 British  
/ ˈmwɑːreɪ /

adjective

  1. having a watered or wavelike pattern

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

  1. such a pattern, impressed on fabrics by means of engraved rollers

  2. any fabric having such a pattern; moire

  3. Also: moiré pattern.  a pattern seen when two geometrical patterns, such as grids, are visually superimposed

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
moire 2 British  
/ mwɑː /

noun

  1. a fabric, usually silk, having a watered effect

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of moire1

1650–60; < French < English mohair

Origin of moiré2

From French, dating back to 1810–20; see origin at moire, -ee

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Moire, mwor, n. watered silk: a watered appearance on metals or textile fabrics.—Moire antique, silk watered so as to resemble the stuffs worn in ancient times.

From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 2 of 4: E-M) by Various

The finest watered silks are known as Moire Antique.

From Textiles and Clothing by Watson, Kate Heintz

This machine is also made to I produce the "Moire luster" finish.

From Scientific American Supplement, No. 460, October 25, 1884 by Various

La Moire was not at home, but his apprentice, Mr. Grosle, came instantly.

From Fox's Book of Martyrs Or A History of the Lives, Sufferings, and Triumphant Deaths of the Primitive Protestant Martyrs by Foxe, John

In the mean time Peter had been sent for La Moire, a surgeon in the neighbourhood.

From Fox's Book of Martyrs Or A History of the Lives, Sufferings, and Triumphant Deaths of the Primitive Protestant Martyrs by Foxe, John

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.