Embroidery
/ɪmˈbrɔɪ.dər.i/noun
Decorative stitching on fabric with thread or yarn.
Did you know?The word ultimately comes from the same Germanic root as Old English brēdan, meaning “to stitch or embroider,” and its history reflects how making patterns in cloth was once treated as skilled, almost ritual handiwork.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*braidjaną
“to braid, plait, or work together”
Old English
OE
brēdan
“to embroider, stitch, or braid together”
Old French
OFr
embroder
“to embroider; to work ornamental stitching on cloth”
Middle English
ME
embrouderie
“ornamental needlework”
Modern English
English
embroidery
“decorative stitching on fabric”