arras
(ˈærəs)
Forms: 5–6 aras, ares, 6 arays, arase, aresse, arres, (aryste, -iste), 6–7 arasse, 7 arrace, 4–9 arras.
[a. Arras, name of a town in Artois famed for its manufacture of the fabric.]
1. A rich tapestry fabric, in which figures and scenes are woven in colours. Also cloth of arras.
| [1397 Will of John of Gaunt in Nichols Royal Wills 156 Draps d'Arras.] c 1400 Epiph. (Turnb. 1843) 114 Or was ther arras abowt hur hede bownd? 1531 Elyot Gov. iii. ii. (1557) 144 With riche arasse or tapestrye. 1536 Bellendene Cron. Scotl. (1821) II. 56 Claithis of arres, and tapestreis. 1596 Unton Invent. 7 One olde cover⁓lett of Ariste. a 1626 Bacon Maxims Com. Law xxv. (1636) 92 My suit of Arras with the story of the Nativity and Passion. 1790 Cowper Odyss. x. 14 Stateliest couches, with rich arras spread. 1816 Byron Siege Cor. xxi, Like the figures on arras, that gloomily glare. 1823 Lingard Hist. Eng. VI. 69 The walls hung with cloth of arras. |
2. A hanging screen of this material formerly placed round the walls of household apartments, often at such a distance from them as to allow of people being concealed in the space between.
| 1598 Shakes. Merry W. iii. iii. 97 She shall not see me, I will ensconce mee behinde the Arras. 1678 R. Lestrange Seneca's Mor. (1702) 203 The Rusling of a Rat behind the Arras. 1823 Scott Quentin D. x, His guide..vanished through a side-door behind the arras. 1876 Green Eng. People vii. §8. 446 She called for a sword..and thrust it from time to time through the arras. |
3. fig. or transf. from prec. senses. (See also next.)
| c 1630 Drummond of Hawthornden Irene Wks. 1711, 170 When ye enter into the cabinets of your own hearts, and there, for finest arras and pourtraits, find millions of Christians..disfigured, massacred, butcher'd. 1856 Kane Arct. Exp. I. xiv. 153 Fires, buffalo-robes, and an arras of investing sailcloth, were unavailing to bring up the mean temperature to the freezing-point. |
4. attrib., as arras cloth, arras hangings, arras weaver work.
| 1485 Inv. in Ripon Ch. Acts 366 Coopertorium lecti, de areswerke. 1542 Udall Erasm. Apophth. (1564) 13 Aresse hanginges, and the other delices of riche men. 1565 Golding Ovid's Met. vi. (1593) 131 And with an arras weaver's combe of box she fiercely smit Arachne. 1575 Churchyard Chippes (1817) 185 My houses..Stuft with rich things, and arras clothes inow. 1643 Herle Answ. Ferne 3 Clemens Alexandrinus called his..bookes of Divinity..pictured tapistry or Arras-work. 1776 Gibbon Decl. & F. I. 278 Linen from Egypt and Arras cloth from Gaul? 1831 Carlyle Sart. Res. ii. iii. 71 Our dim arras-picture of these University years. 1852 D. Moir Tombless Man v. Wks. II. 365 From the panelings, in mouldy shreds, Hung what was arras loom-work. |