embroidery
The art of decorating fabric or other materials with needle and thread.
Embroidery is purely ornamental, added to an already completed fabric, unlike weaving or knitting which create the fabric itself. Figuratively, it can mean adding embellishments or exaggerations to a story.
Word relationships
- needlework: Needlework is a broad category including sewing, quilting, and knitting, while embroidery is specifically decorative stitching.
- ornamentation: Ornamentation is any form of decoration, whereas embroidery is strictly textile-based.
Commonly confused with
- tapestry: Embroidery is stitched onto an existing fabric background, while a tapestry is a heavy fabric handwoven on a loom where the design is part of the weave itself.
Word family
- embroider (verb): To decorate with needlework, or to embellish a story.
- embroiderer (noun): A person who practices embroidery.
Collocations
- intricate embroidery
- gold embroidery
- hand embroidery
- embroidery hoop
Example sentences
- "The queen's velvet robe was adorned with exquisite gold embroidery." A description of historical royal garments.
Memory hook
Think of 'embroidering' as 'embellishing' a fabric with bright, colorful threads. Embroidery: decorative stitches on fabric.
When not to use
Do not confuse embroidery with tapestry, which is a fabric woven with a design, rather than stitched onto an existing surface.
Fun facts
- The Bayeux Tapestry, which depicts the Norman Conquest of England, is actually not a tapestry at all; it is a massive, 70-meter-long work of embroidery stitched with woolen yarns on linen.
Explore more words
embellished, embellish, handicraft, ornamental, weave, textile
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