broidery Now poetic.
(ˈbrɔɪdərɪ)
Forms: 4–5 brouderie, -ri, -ry, browdrye, 5 brawdrye, broodery, broiderie, -rye, 6 broadery, 7–8 brodery, 7 broydery, 7– broidery, (9 poet. broidry).
[a. OF. brouderie, broderie (14th c. in Littré), f. brouder, broder; see broider and -ery. The form broidery (for the abnormal oi of which see broiden, broid) was common in Purvey, and then rare till after 1600: cf. broider.]
1. Ornamental needle-work wrought upon cloth; the art or practice of embroidering cloth; embroidery. Also attrib., as in broidery work, broidery frame.
| 1382 Wyclif Ex. xxxv. 33 Werkis of carpentarye, of browdrye, and of werkyng with needlis. 1388 Ibid. xxviii. 39 Thou schalt make also a girdil, bi werk of broiderye [v.r. broudery, brouderi werk]. 1490 Caxton Eneydos xv. 55 A grete mauntelle of veluet cramoysin pourfylled rounde aboute wyth brawdrye, moche enryched wyth precyous stones. 1496 Dives and Paup. (W. de W.) i. x. 41, I suppose that sayntes in erthe were not arrayed..with clothes of broodery. 1616 W. Browne Brit. Past. ii. iii, Unknown was then the Phrygian brodery. 1621 Ainsworth Annot. Pentat. Gen. xlvi. 4 In shrowds of silke, or cloth of gold or broyderie. 1708 J. Chamberlayne St. Gt. Brit. II. iii. vi. (1743) 416 No other persons wear broidery, pearls, or bullion. 1843 Tennyson Day-Dream Prol., Then take the broidery-frame, and add A crimson to the quaint Macaw. 1856 Mrs. Browning Aur. Leigh iii. 14 Youth's fine linen and fair broidery. 1871 R. Ellis Catullus lxviii. 136. |
2. fig.
| 1782 Burney Hist. Mus. II. 151 The graces, broderies, and flourishes of florid song. 1830 Tennyson Dirge vi, Rare broidry of the purple clover. 1844 Kinglake Eothen iii. (1878) 46 The golden broidery of oriental praises. |