Lampas

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A traditional textile pattern featuring intricate and luxurious designs often found in woven fabrics
2. Characterizing a rich fabric often associated with elegance and opulence through diversified patterns
3. Referring to a type of cloth that displays elaborate weavings, signifying prestige in fashion and decor

Etymology: Lampas is a heavy, figured silk, woven with a pattern in which the design is raised against the ground, and it reached English from French. The French word carries the same sense, and English borrowed it for the textile rather than for any broader idea of light or lamps, despite the look-alike Greek "lampas" meaning torch. The fabric became popular for furnishings and formal dress, and its name stayed attached to that specific kind of woven figure.

Synonyms: lampas (fabric), brocade, damask, velvet, tapestry