drapery

American  

[drey-puh-ree] / ˈdreɪ pə ri /

noun

plural

draperies

1. coverings, hangings, clothing, etc., of fabric, especially as arranged in loose, graceful folds.

2. Often draperies. long curtains, usually of heavy fabric and often designed to open and close across a window.

3. the draping or arranging of hangings, clothing, etc., in graceful folds.

4. Art. hangings, clothing, etc., as represented in sculpture or painting.

5. cloths or textile fabrics collectively.

6. British.

   1. dry goods.

   2. the stock, shop, or business of a draper.

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drapery British  

/ ˈdreɪpərɪ /

noun

1. fabric or clothing arranged and draped

2. (often plural) curtains or hangings that drape

3. the occupation or shop of a draper

4. fabrics and cloth collectively

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Other Word Forms

• draperied adjective
• undraperied adjective

Etymology

Origin of drapery

1250–1300; Middle English draperie < Old French, equivalent to drap cloth + -erie -ery

Example Sentences

But as the Oxford Companion says of Gainsborough, “Unlike most of his contemporaries he employed no drapery painter.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 4, 2026

He has given us, instead, a whirlwind of active bodies and body parts, of fluttering wings, limbs and drapery.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 9, 2026

The darkness of the woods and muddy terrain was just as effective scenery as any of the bedsheet drapery or wooden flats that had been set up.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 31, 2025

In one Center City apartment Gray’s company worked on, drapery panels took the focus away from unattractive radiators.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 14, 2024

She hung her broom on a nearby hook and turned her attention to the drapery.

From "The Detective's Assistant" by Kate Hannigan

Related Words

• decoration
• drape
• screen
• shade
• shroud
• shutter
• veil