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

Example Sentences

But stitch one small thing to another small thing and another, and eventually you have a tapestry as big as the world.

From Literature

The ceiling, outfitted with colorful, cloth tapestries designed to move with the wind, aims to create less friction between indoor and outdoor environments.

From Los Angeles Times

That path to the Super Bowl is woven into the tapestry of great moments in Los Angeles sports.

From Los Angeles Times

The fragments are thought to have been removed from the underside of the tapestry, which is made up of 58 scenes covering 20 years of history with 626 characters and 202 horses.

From BBC

The tapestry was added to UNESCO's "Memory of the World" register in 2007.

From Barron's

Related Words

• drapery