Velvet

Part of speech: noun, adjective

Pronunciation: /ˈvɛlvɪt/

Definitions

1. A rich and soft textile featuring a dense pile that lends a luxurious feel, frequently used in clothing, upholstery, and decorative items
2. This fabric is known for its plush texture and sheen, making it a popular choice for upscale apparel and home furnishings
3. A type of fabric made with a short, dense pile that creates a soft, smooth surface ; a texture characterized by a rich, smooth, and plush feel often associated with luxury

Etymology: The fabric's name is built on hair. Its ancestor is Latin "villus," meaning shaggy hair or a tuft of hair, and the cloth got its name from the soft, raised pile that gives it its characteristic feel. Over time that Latin root was shrunk into a diminutive form, "villutittus" in late spoken Latin, which carried the sense of something small and fine and furry-looking. From there the word passed into Old Occitan as "veluet," the language of southern France, and then into Middle English as "velvet," "velwet," or "veluet." The French cognate "velours" follows the same path, so the two languages share a single ancestor that describes a tufted, bristling surface rather than a smooth one. English speakers today reach for the word to describe a plush, lustrous cloth, yet its earliest meaning was closer to fur than to fabric.

Synonyms: plush, suede

Antonyms: rough, bumpy