▪ I. † emˈbroider, n. Obs. rare—1.
[f. prec. (in sense of next: cf. broid v. and OF. embroder) + -er.]
= embroiderer.
| 1609 Holland Amm. Marcel. 12 Close vnto the front of the chariot marcheth all the sort of weavers and embroiders. |
▪ II. embroider, v.
(ɛmˈbrɔɪdə(r))
Forms: 5 enbrowder, -brouder, (onbrouder), embrawdre, 5–7 embrother, 6 enbroder, enbrauder, embrouder, 7 embroder, embroader, embroyder, 7– embroider. Also 5–6 imbrowder, 6 imbrother, imbrodur, imbroyder, 6–7 imbroder, 7 imbrayder, 7– 8 imbroider.
[f. en- + broider; cf. OF. embroder.]
1. trans. To ornament with needlework; to work in needlework upon cloth, etc. Also absol.
| 14.. Epiph. (Tundale's Vis. 114) Yor quene..Of no devyse enbrowdyrd hath hir wede. c 1420 Chron. Vilod. 572 Þis palle enbroudryd w{supt} gold so rede. 1475 Inv. Goods in Rep. Comm. Hist. MSS. i. 555 A cloth of blac worstede..with a whyte crosse imbrowderyd in v placis. 1483 Caxton Gold. Leg. 331/2 A noble woman..was desyred tembrawdre certayne garmentes. 1494 Househ. Ord. 125 Above the opening..to bee embrothered the Kings and Queens armes. 1521 Mem. Ripon (1882) I. 183 With S. George on horsbake uppon the brest of the said abbit inbrowderid. 1552 Inv. Ch. Goods Norwich in Norfolk Archæol. (1865) VII. 51 Twoo coopes of white damaske embroudered w{supt} Lillypotts. 1555 Eden Decades W. Ind. (Arb.) 197 Buskynnes..imbrothered with gold. c 1595 J. Dickenson Sheph. Compl. (1878) 21 A faire hearse curiouslie embrothered. 1651 W. G. tr. Cowel's Inst. 63 If any one..imbrayder his Purple in my garment. 1680 Anne Montague in Hatton Corr. (1878) 241 A cheery coulerd satten embroderyed with silver thick. 1735 Berkeley Querist §111 The women..embroider..for the embellishment of their persons. 1848 Macaulay Hist. Eng. II. 476 The motto, embroidered in letters three feet long. |
† b. transf. To ornament or variegate as if with embroidery. Sometimes ironically, to besmear with dirt or blood. Obs.
| 1460 in Pol. Rel. & L. Poems (1866) 152 Þese gloues..Onbroudrid with blood. 1591 Lyly Endym. i. iii. 13 Their braines must as it were imbroder my bolts. 1596 Spenser State Irel. 49 Guilded leather with which they use to imbroyder their Irish Jackets. 1624 Capt. Smith Virginia ii. 30 Breasts and face..imbrodered with..beasts, serpents. c 1630 Drummond of Hawthornden Poems Wks. (1711) 38/1 Meadows Embroyd'ring all the banks. c 1640 [Shirley] Capt. Underwit iii. iii. in Bullen's Old Pl. II. 367 To Westminster In our torne gownes, embroiderd with Strand dirt. 1685 R. Burton Eng. Emp. Amer. iv. 68 The Women imbroider their Legs, Hands and other parts with divers works. 1762–71 H. Walpole Vertue's Anecd. Paint. (1786) III. 155 A whole gallery embroidered in pannels by his hand. |
2. In various figurative uses. † a. To make splendid, dignify. Obs.
| 1629 Symmer Spir. Posie ii. vi. 39 So by his Humilitie he embroydered the basenesse of his birth. a 1667 Cowley Obscurity Wks. (1710) II. 704 Nor let my homely Death embroider'd be With Scutcheon, or with Elegy. |
† b. To set forth in florid language. Cf. paint.
| 1636 Healey Theophrast. 20 Embroidering and painting out his praise. 1648 Hunting of Fox 3 Hee sang a song..in which..he passionatly embroyder's what he had done for his well beloved. |
c. To embellish with rhetorical ornament or with fictitious additions or exaggerations.
| 1614 Raleigh Hist. World ii. 367 The Grecian Historians and Poets imbroder and intermixe the tales of ancient times, with a world of fictions. 1638 Featley Transub. 23 The Doctor made an eloquent speech, imbroidered with all variety of learning. a 1797 Walpole Mem. Geo. II, (1847) III. iv. 97 He had embroidered his own story with some marvellous legends. 1848 A. Jameson Sacr. & Leg. Art (1850) 326 The history of Vincent..has been extravagantly embroidered. 1884 Weekly Register 18 Oct. 503/1 Whether the legend..was accurate or embroidered, Lord Malmesbury best knows. |