faille

[ fahyl, feyl; French fa-yuh ]

/ faɪl, feɪl; French ˈfa yə /

noun

a soft, transversely ribbed fabric of silk, rayon, or lightweight taffeta.

Nearby words

fail-safe, fail-soft, failed, failed state, failing, faille, failure, fain, fainaigue, fainites, faint

Origin of faille

1520–30; < Middle French, Old French; of obscure origin

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

Examples from the Web for faille

To this class belong the grosgrains, Ottoman, faille Francaise—a silk resembling grosgrain, but softer and brighter.
Textiles and Clothing|Kate Heintz Watson
But the loss in length should be figured and taken account of on goods with a heavy rib, such as moir, faille, etc.
Theory Of Silk Weaving|Arnold Wolfensberger
Do you see that milk-girl with her scarlet petticoat and Flemish faille?
In the Days of My Youth|Amelia Ann Blandford Edwards
Faille and Bouchot, expecting to succeed, paid the money; they failed while the bottles were making.
Rise and Fall of Cesar Birotteau|Honore de Balzac

Faille Francaise—A soft, lustrous silk of wider cord than grosgrain, but narrower than ottoman.
Textiles and Clothing|Kate Heintz Watson

British Dictionary definitions for faille

faille

/ (feɪl, French faj) /

noun

a soft light ribbed fabric of silk, rayon, or taffeta

Word Origin for faille

C16: from French: head covering, hence, fabric used for this, of obscure origin

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