Purfilen

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To decorate the edge or border of a garment or fabric with ornamental embroidery or trim
2. To adorn the margin of cloth or an object with a decorative band of needlework or ornament
3. To edge a piece of clothing or material with fancy stitching, braiding, or similar ornamentation

Etymology: Old French "porfiler" combined "por-", a form of "pour" meaning "thoroughly" (from Latin "per", "through"), with "filer", "to spin" or "to draw out a thread." Its literal sense was to work a thread all the way through, which is how it came to mean finishing a border with fine stitching. English borrowed the verb in the Middle Ages, and it stayed close to its textile origins. It meant to decorate the edge of cloth, usually with embroidery in gold or silk. The "filer" element comes from Latin "filum", "thread", so the word's core meaning has always been tied to the thread itself.