quilt
Americannoun
-
quilts
plural
-
a coverlet for a bed, made of two layers of fabric with some soft substance, as wool or down, between them and stitched in patterns or tufted through all thicknesses in order to prevent the filling from shifting.
-
anything quilted or resembling a quilt.
-
a bedspread or counterpane, especially a thick one.
-
Obsolete. a mattress.
verb (used with object)
-
quilts,
present (3rd person singular)
-
quilted,
past participle, past
-
quilting
present participle
-
to stitch together (two pieces of cloth and a soft interlining), usually in an ornamental pattern.
-
to sew up between pieces of material.
-
to pad or line with material.
verb (used without object)
-
quilts,
present (3rd person singular)
-
quilted,
past participle, past
-
quilting
present participle
noun
-
a thick warm cover for a bed, consisting of a soft filling sewn between two layers of material, usually with crisscross seams
-
a bedspread or counterpane
-
anything quilted or resembling a quilt
verb
-
to stitch together (two pieces of fabric) with (a thick padding or lining) between them
to quilt cotton and wool
-
to create (a garment, covering, etc) in this way
-
to pad with material
-
informal to strike; clout
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
quiltsimple
-
quiltssimple
-
have quiltedperfect
-
has quiltedperfect
-
am quiltingprogressive
-
are quiltingprogressive
-
is quiltingprogressive
-
have been quiltingperfect progressive
-
has been quiltingperfect progressive
Past
-
quiltedsimple
-
had quiltedperfect
-
was quiltingprogressive
-
were quiltingprogressive
-
had been quiltingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of quilt
1250–1300; Middle English quilte < Old French cuilte < Latin culcita mattress, cushion
Explanation
A quilt is a thick cover for a bed, made from pieces of fabric that are stitched together and filled with padding. Quilt is also a verb, so you can quilt a quilt. The simplest quilts have two layers of fabric that are sewn on either side of a layer of batting, a thin type of stuffing. Patchwork quilts have small pieces of cotton sewn into patterns, and the fabric is sewn over the batting with stitches that make decorative designs. A quilt was originally the same thing as a mattress, and the word comes from the Latin culcita, "mattress or bolster."
Vocabulary lists containing quilt
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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.
See Examples For:
In “Mouse,” that extends to the creation of the setting and era, the filmmakers weaving a richly textured quilt of 2002 to surround these characters.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 6, 2026
That first week, we had a TV and a kind of makeshift conversation pit: a quilt, a mattress, some pillows.
From Salon ● Jul. 11, 2026
She has also made a quilt, using fabrics which reminded her of her time in prison.
From BBC ● May 30, 2026
Yet the celebrations continue, with parades and their marching bands, pie-eating contests and quilt shows, tractor exhibits and neon-lit carnival rides.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 17, 2026
“It’s just, I’ve never seen a science-y baby quilt before. It’s cool. It’s a baby quilt, right?”
From "Boy 2.0" by Tracey Baptiste
"The sheets I laid, the quilts I covered, and the clothes I wore were all covered with piles of patches," said Xu.
From Barron's ● Aug. 20, 2026
John Trumbull’s iconic paintings of the Revolution are joined by historic printings, weapons, pottery, quilts and more in a patriotic display that shows how these creators shaped a visual history of the young country.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 10, 2026
In the bottom of a chest of quilts were nestled her collection of mugs.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 4, 2025
In her bedroom, a coverlet that Weiss assembled from vintage quilts adorns the bed.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 23, 2025
“They’s some quilts in the chest. Y’all might need’m. Mr. Nolly thinks it’s go’n turn off cold t’night.”
From "Cold Sassy Tree" by Olive Ann Burns
Slouchy hoodies over gossamer layers, wired cage-like corsets, an earthy milieu of silky, quilted and textured fabrics.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 16, 2026
Vera Bradley, the maker of quilted bags and accessories, is changing strategy again following a rebrand that de-emphasized its signature florals and patterns—and left some of its loyal consumers fuming.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 2, 2026
Kidman's Australian compatriot and fellow actress Margot Robbie took time to pose in front of the catwalk, wearing a loose black quilted bomber jacket over a black bralette top, paired with wide-leg black trousers.
From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2025
You see, vatnik originally referred to a quilted cotton jacket, the kind worn by Soviet workers, soldiers and prisoners alike.
From Salon ● Mar. 29, 2025
Day after day the skies quilted over and the houses of Phippsburg shivered and croodled together and the rain spilled down onto leaves that hung brown and heavy with the wet.
From "Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy" by Gary D. Schmidt
I catch up with friends’ posts, add a few comments, and get updates from experts on quilting sites I belong to.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 12, 2026
For example, quilting has long been a domestically appropriate medium for women to express their political beliefs, well before they had the right to vote.
From Slate ● Jan. 29, 2026
"It wasn’t her family pictures, it wasn't her jewellery, it was her quilting."
From BBC ● Dec. 26, 2024
What started as teaching quilting in the late 1970s led to books, mail-order classes and a nationally syndicated television show, all based out of a storefront in Winterset, Iowa.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 2, 2024
With the quilting thread, I tied off the cord and snipped.
From "Hattie Big Sky" by Kirby Larson
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