Reupholstery

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The technique of replacing or renewing the fabric and padding on furniture items A procedure that involves adding new upholstery materials to chairs, sofas, and other furnishings An endeavor aimed at restoring or updating the textile and comfort features of various seating pieces
2. The act of fitting new fabric and cushioning onto furniture to refresh its appearance and comfort
3. Renewing the outer textile and padding of chairs or sofas to improve their look and feel

Etymology: "Upholstery" is the older word here, and "reupholstery" is simply that word with the prefix "re-" attached, meaning to do the work again. "Upholstery" itself comes from "upholsterer," a tradesman who furnished rooms with textiles, bedding and hangings. That trade name is built from "upholder," an old term for a person who held up or kept things in good order, combined with the agent suffix "-er," so an upholsterer was originally a kind of furnisher and dealer in soft goods rather than someone who padded chairs. The prefix "re-" carries its ordinary sense of repetition: the covering on a chair or sofa is taken off and replaced with new fabric, padding and springs. The noun names both that process and the newly applied covering, which is why the word refers to a finished result as well as the labor behind it.