velveteen
Americannoun
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a cotton pile fabric with short pile.
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velveteens, trousers of this fabric.
adjective
noun
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a cotton fabric resembling velvet with a short thick pile, used for clothing, etc
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( as modifier )
velveteen trousers
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(plural) trousers made of velveteen
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of velveteen
Explanation
Velveteen is as soft as velvet, but it's not quite as fancy. Your favorite childhood stuffed animal might be made out of velveteen. Velvet is a plush fabric made of silk, and velveteen is a similar fabric that's made of cotton instead. Velveteen is less expensive and not quite as luxurious as velvet. Curtains, pillows, and clothing can all be made from velveteen. The word velveteen was coined in the 1770s, an alteration of the word velvet, which comes from the Latin villutus, or "shaggy cloth."
Vocabulary lists containing velveteen
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
That lent a velveteen innocence to the jovial wreckage “The Osbournes” created and navigated almost constantly, although there were many times when what we saw clashed against the lighthearted sonic wallpaper.
From Salon ● Jul. 24, 2025
At the National Museum of African American History and Culture, one of Mrs. Beane’s hats is green velveteen.
From Washington Post ● Oct. 25, 2022
They wore "long greasy velveteen coats, furnished with pockets of vast capacity, and their nether limbs are encased in dirty canvas trousers", Mayhew noted.
From BBC ● Dec. 30, 2021
A velveteen recording that exudes warmth, it showcases Wilkes’ skills at tapping low frequencies as the seeds of melodic ideas.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 31, 2019
The skin was metallic silver-gold and so beautiful that even the velveteen parkas of the children from Mekoryuk paled by comparison.
From "Julie of the Wolves" by Jean Craighead George
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
