cutwork

[ kuht-wurk ]

/ ˈkʌtˌwɜrk /

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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).

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

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Origin of cutwork

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

Words nearby cutwork

cut-up poem, cut-up technique, cut velvet, cutware, cutwater, cutwork, cutworm, cuve, cuvée, cuvette, Cuvier

How to use cutwork in a sentence

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
They were large on the shoulders, having much cutwork showing the linen shirt beneath.
Every Day Life in the Massachusetts Bay Colony|George Francis Dow

British Dictionary definitions for cutwork

cutwork

/ (ˈkʌtˌwɜːk) /

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