▪ I. terry, n.1, a.
(ˈtɛrɪ)
[Origin uncertain: it is not clear whether the word was orig. n. or adj.
If adj., it may have been a corruption of F. tiré drawn; cf. Ger. gezogener Sammet ‘drawn velvet’.]
A. n.
1. The loop raised in pile-weaving (pile n.5 3) left uncut; also short for terry fabric, terry-velvet, etc., see B. In later use = terry cloth, terry towelling (see B below).
| 1784 J. Bennett Patent Specif. No. 1437 The Prince's everlasting union pearl or terry. Ibid., The silk and mohair, pearl or terry, or wove, to float as a sattin. 1853 Ure Dict. Arts I. 380 (Carpet weaving) Inserting a tag or wire to form the rib or terry. 1861 Abridgm. Spec. Patents, Weaving Index 1093, Terries raised on weft. 1879 Webster Suppl., Terry, 1. A kind of heavy silk and worsted material used in upholstery. 2. Heavy red poplin for ladies' dresses. 1888 Howells Annie Kilburn xi, The furniture was in green terry. 1895 Montgomery Ward Catal. Spring & Summer 24/1 White Turkish Towelling or Terry. The following Terry or Turkish Towelling is for children's cloaking, roller towels, etc. 1972 New Yorker 22 July 74/1 Our new multicolor stripe combines red, navy, gold and sky-blue on white terry. 1981 Guardian 19 Oct. 14/5 Having immersed the terries in a steriliser, I give them a short cold water rinse... This regime means that washing terry nappies is no longer a great chore. |
2. In rope-making, An open reel.
| 1877 in Knight Dict. Mech. (Perh. not the same word.) |
B. adj. Of pile-fabrics: Looped, having the loops that form the pile left uncut, as terry pile, terry velvet (in F. velours épinglé). Also, Of or pertaining to such a fabric. Now esp. of or pertaining to terry towelling, an absorbent cotton or linen cloth used for making towels, beachwear, babies' napkins, etc.; in the U.S. called terry cloth (freq. attrib.).
| 1835 Ladies' Cabinet Jan. 64 The new ones [hats] are composed of..plain velvet, and Terry velvet. Ibid. Feb. 202 A toque of pink terry velvet. 1851 Mech. Mag. 5 Apr. 278/2 Joseph Burch... For improvements in printing terry and pile carpets [etc.]... Patent dated September 28, 1850. 1853 Ure Dict. Arts I. 380 The fabric produced will be plain or unornamented, with a looped or terry pile. 1878 Barlow Hist. Weaving 210 Both cut and terry velvets are now woven in power looms. 1897 H. Neville Students' Handbk. Pract. Fabric Structure xii. 136 Beginning with terry-towelling, as the simplest form of looped pile work. 1906 H. Nisbet Gram. Textile Design viii. 163 Terry fabrics produced by means of terry motions are exemplified in so-called Turkish towels... The majority of these goods are produced entirely from cotton, although terry towels are sometimes produced either entirely or in part from linen. 1917 Harrods Catal. 1440/1 Terry Dusters or Paint Cloths. 1921 Daily Colonist (Victoria, B.C.) 15 Mar. 4/5 (Advt.), 36-Inch New Terry Cloth $1.69 a Yard. 1937 Night & Day 8 July 22/1 Terry towelling is responsible for a great many irresistible beach affairs. 1944 R. Chandler Lady in Lake iii. 18 A big guy in bathing trunks..and a white terrycloth bathrobe. 1959 Harrods News Summer 9 Terry towel for bath or beach. 1961 A. Miller Misfits iv. 44 He turns and sees Roslyn in a terry-cloth robe emerging from the bedroom doorway. 1961 Listener 12 Oct. 558/1 An artificial mother constructed of wire and terry towelling. 1975 Guardian 27 Jan. 15/2 A completely new type of tufting machine which is directed specifically at the terry trade... [It] makes a cloth with one face of terry material. 1980 L. Birnbach et al. Official Preppy Handbk. 155/1 Need a pair of frog-print slacks or a terry cloth halter jumpsuit? 1981 [see sense A. 1 above]. |
C. Comb., as terry-ribbed adj., terry-weaving.
| 1885 Girl's Own Paper Jan. 202/1 The majority are made of terry-ribbed silk. 1907 Macm. Mag. Jan., Notes 19/2 New sections on terry weaving, the automatic supply of weft to looms, and warp stop motions, have been added. |
▪ II. terry, n.2
(ˈtɛrɪ)
A colloquial abbreviation of territorial, applied to members of the Territorial Army; = terrier n.2 3.
| 1907 Daily Chron. 31 Dec. 3/4 The ‘Terries’ will be made to feel that there is little or no difference between them and the Tommies. Ibid. 4/7 Obviously some kind of a nick⁓name must be found for the new Territorial Army... Upon another page Mr. Charles Lowe boldly calls our soldiers of the future ‘The Terries’. |
▪ III. terry, n.3
see toddy.
▪ IV. terry
var. tary v. Obs., to provoke.