tapestry

American  

[tap-uh-stree] / ˈtæp ə stri /

noun

plural

tapestries

1. a fabric consisting of a warp upon which colored threads are woven by hand to produce a design, often pictorial, used for wall hangings, furniture coverings, etc.

2. a machine-woven reproduction of this.

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verb (used with object)

tapestried, tapestrying

1. to furnish, cover, or adorn with tapestry.

2. to represent or depict in a tapestry.

tapestry British  

/ ˈtæpɪstrɪ /

noun

1. a heavy ornamental fabric, often in the form of a picture, used for wall hangings, furnishings, etc, and made by weaving coloured threads into a fixed warp

2. another word for needlepoint

3. a colourful and complicated situation

   the rich tapestry of London life

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Other Word Forms

• tapestried adjective
• tapestry-like adjective
• tapestrylike adjective

Etymology

Origin of tapestry

1400–50; late Middle English tapst ( e ) ry, tapistry < Middle French tapisserie carpeting. See tapis, -ery

Explanation

A tapestry is a picture woven into cloth. It's a decorative rug you hang on the wall, with detailed images or designs on it. Some tapestries, like the famous Unicorn Tapestries, tell stories with their pictures. Weaving an image into cloth is a brilliant idea — it makes art accessible and portable. And a tapestry offers something a painting can't: warmth. Think of those cold castle walls in medieval Europe, add a tapestry, and you're warmer already. You can use tapestry to describe anything that's multi-layered and complex, like the tapestry of life in a rural town, or the tapestry of your family history, or the tapestry of plot and character in your favorite novel.

Example Sentences

The trio of colorful and competing events left the city's monument area thronged with tourists, activists and selfie-seekers -- a tapestry of political protest, environmental tourism and family fun.

From Barron's • Mar. 28, 2026

There’s smaller mysteries, bigger mysteries, and they’re all put together so well that it becomes like a tapestry.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 10, 2026

If a memo about a software update uses words like delve, tapestry, beacon or myriad, a machine wrote it.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 5, 2026

With thrilling stories about ordinary blokes willing some of history’s most beloved music into being, the tapestry of The Beatles is rife with drama and wonder.

From Salon • Feb. 27, 2026

Instantly his followers scrambled into the bushes as their Chief ripped the tapestry into shreds, his mighty claws rending and tearing as he roared madly: “It’s a fake, a copy, worthless trash. Aaaaaarrgh!”

From "Redwall" by Brian Jacques

Related Words

• drapery