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• terry
  terry

  noun

  the loop formed by the pile of a fabric when left uncut.
• Terry
  Terry

  noun

  Bill William Harold Terry, 1898–1989, U.S. baseball player and manager: Baseball Hall of Fame 1954.

terry

¹ American  

[ter-ee] / ˈtɛr i /

noun

terries plural

1. the loop formed by the pile of a fabric when left uncut.

2. Also called terry cloth.  a pile fabric, usually of cotton, with loops on both sides, as in a Turkish towel.

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adjective

1. made of such a fabric.

   a terry bathrobe.

2. having the pile loops uncut.

   terry velvet.

Terry ² American  

[ter-ee] / ˈtɛr i /

noun

1. Bill William Harold Terry, 1898–1989, U.S. baseball player and manager: Baseball Hall of Fame 1954.

2. Clark, 1920–2015, U.S. jazz trumpet and flugelhorn player and singer.

3. Dame Ellen Alice Ellen Terry, 1847–1928, English actress, the leading Shakespearean and comic stage actress of her time.

4. Megan Marguerite Duffy, 1932–2023, U.S. playwright noted for her contributions to avant-garde theater in the 1960s.

5. a male given name, form of Terrence or Theodore.

6. a female given name, form of Teresa or Theresa.

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terry ¹ British  

/ ˈtɛrɪ /

noun

1. an uncut loop in the pile of towelling or a similar fabric

2. 1. a fabric with such a pile on both sides

   2. ( as modifier )

      a terry towel

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Terry ² British  

/ ˈtɛrɪ /

noun

1. Dame Ellen. 1847–1928, British actress, noted for her Shakespearean roles opposite Sir Henry Irving and for her correspondence with George Bernard Shaw

2. ( John ) Quinlan (ˈkwɪnlən). born 1937, British architect, noted for his works in neoclassical style, such as the Richmond riverside project (1984)

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Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

noun

• terries
  plural

Etymology

Origin of terry

First recorded in 1775–85; perhaps variant of terret

Explanation

The soft, plush material that's used to make towels and bathrobes is terry. After a day of hiking in the cold, you might enjoy a mug of hot chocolate while lounging in a comfy terry robe. Look closely at terry (also called terry cloth), and you'll see that it's made from loops of thread. These loops give terry its softness, and they also make it especially good at absorbing water. Baby clothing, cloth diapers, and sweatbands are all commonly made of terry. Terry towels were first made and sold industrially in 1850.

Example Sentences

I make hotpads from worn-out terry cloth towels and I turn fabric scraps into comforter tops.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 2, 2026

I feel suffocated and claustrophobic, and my heart rate accelerates as the terry cloth towers batter my car from all sides, and I experience my deepest fear: a loss of control.

From Salon • Jul. 21, 2024

They must be a thick absorbent cotton but never terry.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 1, 2023

Wait for the residue to soften, maybe five to 10 minutes, then wipe it up with a terry cloth or other rough-textured rag.

From Washington Post • Mar. 17, 2023

Grabbing a piece of pink terry cloth, she said, “That’s an old baby bib.”

From "Krik? Krak!" by Edwidge Danticat