cutwork

[kuht-wurk]

noun

openwork embroidery in which the ground fabric is cut out about the pattern.

fretwork formed by perforation or cut in low relief.

ornamental needlework in which spaces are cut from a ground material into which are inserted decorative figures that were made separately.

point coupé(def 1).

Origin of cutwork

First recorded in 1425–75, cutwork is from the late Middle English word cut werk. See cut, work

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for cutwork

Historical Examples of cutwork

Bed-hangings, curtains, and furniture-coverings were covered with alternate squares of lacis and cutwork.
Chats on Old Lace and Needlework
Emily Leigh Lowes
As in all countries, lace-making apparently commenced in its early English stages by drawn-thread and cutwork.
Chats on Old Lace and Needlework
Emily Leigh Lowes

British Dictionary definitions for cutwork

cutwork

noun

openwork embroidery in which the pattern is cut away from the background

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