tapestry
/ˈtapɪstri
/noun (plural tapestries)
1A piece of thick textile fabric with pictures or designs formed by weaving coloured weft threads or by embroidering on canvas, used as a wall hanging or soft furnishing: panelled walls hung with old tapestries [mass noun]: motifs and compositions used in Indian tapestry [as modifier]: tapestry bags...
- On the walls, there were thick tapestries made of expensive fabrics, and old pictures painted in glory.
- Her range of work includes hand-woven tapestry, wall hangings, framed tapestries, hand-woven bags and belts.
- She embroiders clothes, makes tapestries, and weaves.
1.1Used in reference to an intricate or complex sequence of events: the loopiness of the Commons adds to life’s rich tapestry...
- No less important, is the tapestry of outreach events organised by orchestras that bring musicians' skills off the stage.
- The tapestry of this complex play gives scope for some exciting performances, particularly for the wives and daughter.
- In fact, much of this issue of History Today picks up strands of the complex tapestry of the history of liberty.
Derivatives
tapestried
- Such a terrific piece of knowledge caused me to yell, and to bolt (like a rabbit into his burrow) through the tapestried door at the side of the audience-chamber.
- "I know, but I have been taking care all evening, and frankly, I want to scream," she replied as she flung herself dramatically into a red tapestried chair.
- She successfully proffered $44,000 for six tapestried chairs and a sofa that had been made, a long time ago, for Queen Marie Antoinette of France.
Origin
Late Middle English: from Old French tapisserie, from tapissier 'tapestry worker' or tapisser 'to carpet', from tapis 'carpet, tapis'.
Tapestry comes from French tapis ‘carpet’, easier to understand if you know that in the past carpets were far too valuable to walk on and were used for wall hangings and to cover tables.