drapery

[ drey-puh-ree ]

noun

, plural drap·er·ies.

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.

drapery

/ 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

Derived Forms

• ˈdraperied, adjective

Other Words From

• drap·er·ied adjective
• un·dra·per·ied adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of drapery¹

1250–1300; Middle English draperie < Old French, equivalent to drap cloth + -erie -ery

Example Sentences

From color palette to navigation items, visitors see blinds, shutters, and drapery in all imagery and content throughout the site.

From Search Engine Land

Her yellow curtains replaced the neoclassical pale blue draperies designed by Mark Hampton for George and Barbara Bush.

From Washington Post

Tjarks, who owns a drapery company called Gotcha Covered, is a conservative Republican.

From Washington Post

Bending, with a breaking heart, I touched the marble drapery with my lips, then crept back into the silent house.

From The Daily Beast

Thompson uses elaborate drapery and ordinary objects to create mystical settings in isolated environments.

From The Daily Beast

The drapery and drawing of the figures in the earlier examples are also exceptionally good.

From Project Gutenberg

Ronald looked at the mass of chiffon and the quivering fall of drapery before him and smiled.

From Project Gutenberg

Look more for the vibration of light and air on the flesh and drapery colors than for these colors in themselves.

From Project Gutenberg

This drawing is now covered with its drapery, which is drawn from the life in charcoal, or a frottée of some sort.

From Project Gutenberg

He was the first who painted woman with brilliant drapery and variegated head-dresses.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

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