embroidery
Americannoun
plural
embroideries-
the art of working raised and ornamental designs in threads of silk, cotton, gold, silver, or other material, upon any woven fabric, leather, paper, etc., with a needle.
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embroidered work or ornamentation.
-
elaboration or embellishment, as in telling a story.
noun
-
decorative needlework done usually on loosely woven cloth or canvas, often being a picture or pattern
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elaboration or exaggeration, esp in writing or reporting; embellishment
Etymology
Origin of embroidery
1350–1400; Middle English embrouderie needlework on cloth < Middle French embroud ( er ) + Middle English -erie -ery; oi from embroider
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
In her formalwear, Elizabeth favored elaborate embroidery of satin, lace, and silk that incorporated pearls, crystals and sequins.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 9, 2026
She hosts monthly arts and crafts workshops including activities like scrapbooking, punch needle embroidery and clay art.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 23, 2026
The 70m-long embroidery, widely believed to have been created in Kent, goes on display in September.
From BBC • Mar. 21, 2026
Fiber arts like knitting, crocheting, and embroidery have never been completely apolitical.
From Slate • Jan. 29, 2026
Pinmei continued to stare, the small figures like two stitches of embroidery thread on a vast tapestry.
From "When the Sea Turned to Silver" by Grace Lin
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
