Rickrack

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A type of decorative trim featuring a zigzag design that adds visual interest to textiles and other craft projects can enhance overall aesthetics
2. This decorative accent, characterized by its wavy pattern, is commonly used to embellish fabrics in various sewing and crafting ventures
3. A narrow ornamental braid with a regular zigzag pattern used to decorate clothing or crafts

Etymology: Rickrack is a reduplicated coinage, meaning its two halves repeat the same idea in a sound-driven way, a pattern seen in words like "hurly-burly" and "helter-skelter." The first half, "rick," and the second, "rack," seem to echo the back-and-forth motion of a zigzag, and "rack" in the sense of moving or shaking to and fro likely supplied the model. The exact source of "rack" here is uncertain, so the explanation rests on the pattern rather than a documented chain. The word appears in print in American English in the late 1800s, around the time mass-produced machine-made trims became common. Its appearance then suggests it was a practical name for a practical product, a braid stitched in a tight zigzag that could be sewn onto collars, hems, and children's clothing. Its earlier spellings varied widely, which is typical of words that were spoken and named before dictionaries standardized them.