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ruche

[ roosh ]
/ ruʃ /
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See synonyms for: ruche / ruched / ruching on Thesaurus.com

noun
a strip of pleated lace, net, muslin, or other material for trimming or finishing a dress, as at the collar or sleeves.
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Origin of ruche

1820–30; <French: literally, beehive <Gallo-Romance *rūsca bark, apparently <Gaulish; compare Welsh rhisg(l) bark, rind

OTHER WORDS FROM ruche

ruched, adjectiveruching, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

MORE ABOUT RUCHE

What does ruche mean?

A ruche is a strip of material used to finish a dress, as in Paula decided to add lace ruche to the dress’s sleeves.

A ruche is a decorative piece of fabric used to finish a dress on the ends. Typically, a ruche is placed on the collar or sleeves of a dress as a way to draw attention to those areas and complete a design. A traditional ruche is made by pleating the fabric already present at the top of the dress or gathering it into small folds, but it can also be made out of pleated fabric that is added on top of the dress fabric. Ruches are often made from lace, net, or muslin but can be made from any material that can be pleated and sewn on the garment’s fabric.

To ruche means to gather or pleat fabric into a ruche, as in Franny struggled to ruche the lace for the wedding gown.

Example: Vlad used a bright-colored ruche on the dress sleeves to make the dress pop.

Where does ruche come from?

The first records of the term ruche come from around the 1800s. It is believed to ultimately be a Gaulish term meaning “bark” or “rind.”

Ruching has been a part of dressmaking and other fashion design for centuries. They were a signature element of European blouses and jackets in the 1500s and 1600s. In the early 21st century, ruching has become a fashion staple once again, and it’s common to see a whole dress or the whole torso of a top ruched to create specific designs or looks.

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What are some other forms related to ruche?

  • ruched (adjective)
  • ruching (verb, noun)

What are some synonyms for ruche?

What are some words that often get used in discussing ruche?

How is ruche used in real life?

Ruche is used in the fashion industry and is almost always used to refer to the finishing of a dress.

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A ruche is typically found on sleeves and collars.

How to use ruche in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for ruche

ruche

rouche

/ (ruːʃ) /

noun
a strip of pleated or frilled lawn, lace, etc, used to decorate blouses, dresses, etc, or worn around the neck like a small ruff as in the 16th century

Word Origin for ruche

C19: from French, literally: beehive, from Medieval Latin rūsca bark of a tree, of Celtic 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
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