a soft woolen fabric woven with a pattern of colorful and minutely detailed figures.
a shawl, scarf, tie, or other article made of this fabric.
a silk print simulating this fabric and weave.
Also called paisley print. a pattern resembling the design or figure on this fabric or material.
made of paisley.
a paisley shawl.
having the pattern of a paisley.
a pattern of small curving shapes with intricate detailing, usually printed in bright colours
a soft fine wool fabric traditionally printed with this pattern
a garment made of this fabric, esp a shawl popular in the late 19th century
(modifier) of or decorated with this pattern
a paisley scarf
Bob. 1919–96, English footballer and manager: played for Liverpool (1939–54); under his management (1974–83) Liverpool won six English titles and the European Cup three times (1977, 1978, 1981)
Ian ( Richard Kyle ) Baron. born 1926, Northern Ireland politician and Presbyterian minister; cofounder (1972) and leader of the Ulster Democratic Unionist Party, First Minister of Northern Ireland from 2007 to 2008
First recorded in 1825–35; named after Paisley
If your favorite scarf is printed with a pattern consisting of shapes that look like drops of water, you are a fan of paisley and its swirly curves and colors. This Scottish toponym, or place name, (from the town of Paisley, in Renfrewshire) denotes a fabric design that was massively manufactured there in the 19th century. A paisley design itself is Middle Eastern in origin though, having traveled to Europe in the colonial period and become so popular that import could not meet demand.
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Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
A geriatric care worker in her late 50s, she is looking for a design in a particular shade of baby pink with a dull gold paisley motif.
From BBC ● Feb. 22, 2026
It’s like a good plaid or a paisley.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 18, 2024
Further investigation uncovered a full skeleton with a faded, paisley dress and pointed heels.
From New York Times ● May 16, 2024
One minute, Ben-Adir would be prancing around to I'm Just Ken, the next he'd be hunched over in his paisley shirt, studying the cadences of Redemption Song.
From BBC ● Jan. 25, 2024
I held up a blue calico and a green paisley.
From "Hattie Big Sky" by Kirby Larson
Rafferty was born into a working-class family in Paisley, Renfrewshire.
From BBC ● Jul. 15, 2026
Former DUP MP Ian Paisley said that five years ago he was approached by a young woman who said she had been "exploited" by Donaldson.
From BBC ● Jun. 26, 2026
“Gold was on a tear in January and it’s down a lot since because it’s being viewed as more of a risky asset,” said Paisley Nardini, head of multi-asset solutions at Simplify Asset Management.
From Barron's ● Jun. 24, 2026
A former secretary of state for international development and for transport, Alexander lost his Paisley and Renfrewshire South seat to the SNP in one of the biggest shocks of the 2015 general election.
From BBC ● Jun. 22, 2026
It took a second before Armpit realized that Jerome Paisley was expecting an answer.
From "Small Steps" by Louis Sachar
One particularly vibrant example from the Caucasus has a pattern of stylized, almost hexagonal paisleys in an array of colors.
From Washington Post ● Mar. 28, 2023
Far from being random, Kean Etro’s shop-your-own-closet mash-up of paisleys, plaids, stripes and leopard patterns had a deliberate point to make, one that required only the framing of the broader cityscape to coalesce.
From New York Times ● Jan. 19, 2021
The theatre had the grandeur of a cathedral: blood-red velvet curtains framed the stage; golden ceilings, patterned with blue-and-purple paisleys, soared over vaudeville-era balconies and plush seats.
From The New Yorker ● Jan. 8, 2017
But paisley re-emerged in spurts: Around 1904, Norwegian peasant girls and Spanish ladies still favored paisleys as church wear.
From Slate ● Oct. 20, 2015
I put the skinny blonde in flat white sandals, a braided coronet, and a red maxi covered with white paisleys.
From "You Bring the Distant Near" by Mitali Perkins
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.
