Basketweaves

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Woven patterns or techniques used to construct baskets from strips of reed, willow or cane ; interlaced fabric patterns that resemble the crisscross texture of a woven basket
2. Methods of interlacing strips of pliable material to form baskets ; surface designs in cloth or tile that mimic the over-and-under look of wicker work
3. The crisscross interlacing styles used to make wicker containers ; decorative textile or upholstery patterns that copy the appearance of hand-woven baskets

Etymology: "Basketweaves" is the plural of "basketweave," a noun for an interlaced pattern that looks like woven basketwork. The term is a plain compound of "basket" and "weave," which is why its meaning can be read straight off its parts: a basket is a container woven from pliant material, and to weave is to interlace strands over and under one another. The pattern name transfers that making process onto a design, so a surface marked this way looks as though it were built from woven strips. Because the word is formed transparently from two common English words, there is no hidden history to uncover. Its meaning follows directly from the craft it describes, and the plural simply counts several such patterns.

Synonyms: wickerwork