smocking

American  

[smok-ing] / ˈsmɒk ɪŋ /

noun

1. smocked needlework.

2. embroidery stitches used to hold gathered cloth in even folds.

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smocking British  

/ ˈsmɒkɪŋ /

noun

1. ornamental needlework used to gather and stitch material in a honeycomb pattern so that the part below the gathers hangs in even folds

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Etymology

Origin of smocking

First recorded in 1885–90; smock + -ing ¹

Example Sentences

Eugene Robinson: What has the president been ‘smocking’?

From Washington Post

Searches for the term “smocking gun” surged, according to Google Trends, as did searches for “smocking” – a type of embroidery made of many small folds.

From The Guardian

Colbert then read Trump’s tweets aloud, including one in which he misspelled “smoking gun” as “smocking gun”.

From The Guardian

The clothes are trimmed in smocking, ruffles and lace, and they are reinforced with closely spaced hooks and snaps.

From New York Times

I counted at least six different needlework techniques—including smocking, pin pleats, and rosettes—that descended from puffed shoulder to netting-frilled wrist.

From The New Yorker

Related Words

• pleat