texture

American  

[teks-cher] / ˈtɛks tʃər /

noun

• textures
  plural

1. the visual and especially tactile quality of a surface.

   rough texture.

2. the characteristic structure of the interwoven or intertwined threads, strands, or the like, that make up a textile fabric.

   coarse texture.

3. the characteristic physical structure given to a material, an object, etc., by the size, shape, arrangement, and proportions of its parts.

   soil of a sandy texture; a cake with a heavy texture.

4. an essential or characteristic quality; essence.

5. Fine Arts.

   1. the characteristic visual and tactile quality of the surface of a work of art resulting from the way in which the materials are used.

   2. the imitation of the tactile quality of represented objects.

6. the quality given, as to a musical or literary work, by the combination or interrelation of parts or elements.

7. a rough or grainy surface quality.

8. anything produced by weaving; woven fabric.

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verb (used with object)

textured, texturing

1. to give texture or a particular texture to.

2. to make by or as if by weaving.

texture British  

/ ˈtɛkstʃə /

noun

1. the surface of a material, esp as perceived by the sense of touch

   a wall with a rough texture

2. the structure, appearance, and feel of a woven fabric

3. the general structure and disposition of the constituent parts of something

   the texture of a cake

4. the distinctive character or quality of something

   the texture of life in America

5. the nature of a surface other than smooth

   woollen cloth has plenty of texture

6. art the representation of the nature of a surface

   the painter caught the grainy texture of the sand

7. 1. music considered as the interrelationship between the horizontally presented aspects of melody and rhythm and the vertically represented aspect of harmony

      a contrapuntal texture

   2. the nature and quality of the instrumentation of a passage, piece, etc

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verb

1. (tr) to give a distinctive usually rough or grainy texture to

texture Scientific  

/ tĕks′chər /

1. The general physical appearance of a rock, especially with respect to the size, shape, size variability, and geometric arrangement of its mineral crystals (for igneous and metamorphic rocks) and of its constituent elements (for sedimentary rocks). A sandstone that forms as part of an eolian (wind-blown) deposit, for example, has a texture that reflects its small, rounded sand grains of uniform size, while a sandstone that formed as part of a fluvial deposit has a texture reflecting the presence of grains of varying sizes, with some more rounded than others.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• retexture
  verb (used with object)
• nontextural
  adjective
• semitextural
  adjective
• textural
  adjective
• textureless
  adjective
• untextural
  adjective
• nontexturally
  adverb
• semitexturally
  adverb
• texturally
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• textures
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of texture

1400–50; late Middle English < Latin textūra web, equivalent to text ( us ) (past participle of texere to weave) + -ūra -ure

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Explanation

Texture is the physical feel of something — smooth, rough, fuzzy, slimy, and lots of textures something in between. Sandpaper is very rough — it has a gritty, rough texture. Other things, like linoleum, have a smooth texture. Texture has to do with how an object feels and its ingredients. Texture is very important in clothes: a cotton shirt has a different texture than a polyester shirt. You can also talk about other kinds of texture, like musical texture. A symphony and a rock song have different instruments, so they have different textures.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

texture textures textured texturing

Others are roasting or fermenting agricultural waste products, to transform them into good-enough substitutes in flavor and texture.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026

"The aroma is exceptional and the texture very firm, which is keeping market prices high."

From Barron's ● Nov. 4, 2026

For example, fresh mango can add sweetness to a savory dish, while avocado contributes a rich, creamy texture.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 3, 2026

Pimples come and go, but if breakouts stick around and cause discoloration or changes in skin texture, it’s a good idea to see a dermatologist.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 13, 2026

And the texture of skin around the eyes, how fragile it was, and earliest to wrinkle, and the dart and flicker of the orb beneath the lid.

From "Strange the Dreamer" by Laini Taylor

Their contrasting flavors and textures make them useful ingredients in salads, smoothies, and grain bowls.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 3, 2026

Powered by Nintendo's Switch 2 console, the remake features far richer environments, upgraded textures and more detailed character models.

From Barron's ● Oct. 15, 2026

No matter what you thought of her attempts to channel Blondie and Joan Jett on 2020’s “Plastic Hearts” or incorporate goth and industrial textures on 2025’s “Something Beautiful,” the results were rarely boring.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 22, 2026

A poached whitefish dish was another standout, paired with rice prepared in several different ways to add contrasting textures.

From Salon ● Sep. 8, 2026

Indian classical music, for example, does not contain harmony, but only the three textures of a melody, rhythm, and a drone.

From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin

Among them was Cameron’s upstairs work loft, where Alix ripped out the carpet before adding dark gray textured walls, wood flooring, custom black shelving, weathered-looking light fixtures, and a large glass table.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 8, 2026

But the characterizations are too flimsy, the world only moderately textured.

From Salon ● Aug. 26, 2026

A more careful listen reveals a classic propelled by passion, high-impact vocals and guitars, and textured overdubbing.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 15, 2026

"My skin feels dull and textured and just looks more tired in general, and my chest feels heavier and sore."

From BBC ● Aug. 3, 2026

His skin more weathered now, textured with age.

From "A Rover's Story" by Jasmine Warga

"We think this texturing is a strong candidate for everyday use and we're ready to partner with companies to refine it for large-scale manufacturing," she said.

From Science Daily ● Apr. 22, 2026

“The texturing on the Lego brick does a really good job of antialiasing.”

From The Verge ● Aug. 20, 2022

“There was a certain amount of resiliency that made the texturing, I thought, ‘Wow that is what I had been missing,’ ” Jackson remembered.

From Seattle Times ● Dec. 24, 2020

He devoted himself to piano, keyboards and guitar, texturing his recorded work with blurry drone tones until sounds seem to bleed together.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 9, 2020

Art concepts include modeling, texturing, organic and inorganic work and unwrapping – which Gaber describes as figuring out where lines will go for filling in, "kind of like paint by numbers."

From US News ● Jan. 25, 2016

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Related Words

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