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

He has given us, instead, a whirlwind of active bodies and body parts, of fluttering wings, limbs and drapery.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 9, 2026

Restorations of unknown date have resulted in the exposure of under drawing in certain areas, like the drapery of Salome, and a blurring of the line distinguishing the Virgin’s pillow from the gilded ground.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 26, 2025

The darkness of the woods and muddy terrain was just as effective scenery as any of the bedsheet drapery or wooden flats that had been set up.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 31, 2025

“Certain colors get canceled out. You have to think about wallpapers, upholstery and drapery fabric. Those are the big things.”

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 12, 2023

Seeing none, I ducked between the end of the drapery and the wall.

From "The Shakespeare Stealer" by Gary L. Blackwood

Related Words

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