tapestry

[ tap-uh-stree ]

noun

, plural tap·es·tries.

1. a fabric consisting of a warp upon which colored threads are woven by hand to produce a design, often pictorial, used for wall hangings, furniture coverings, etc.
2. a machine-woven reproduction of this.

verb (used with object)

, tap·es·tried, tap·es·try·ing.

1. to furnish, cover, or adorn with tapestry.
2. to represent or depict in a tapestry.

tapestry

/ ˈtæpɪstrɪ /

noun

1. a heavy ornamental fabric, often in the form of a picture, used for wall hangings, furnishings, etc, and made by weaving coloured threads into a fixed warp
2. another word for needlepoint
3. a colourful and complicated situation

   the rich tapestry of London life

Derived Forms

• ˈtapestried, adjective
• ˈtapestry-ˌlike, adjective

Other Words From

• tapes·try·like adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of tapestry¹

1400–50; late Middle English tapst ( e ) ry, tapistry < Middle French tapisserie carpeting. See tapis, -ery

Word History and Origins

Origin of tapestry¹

C15: from Old French tapisserie carpeting, from Old French tapiz carpet; see tapis

Example Sentences

We listened in rapt, reverential awe, cozied by Vienna’s velvet strings, velvet winds and velvet brass woven together in a perfect tapestry of lush sonic textures and instrumental colors.

From Los Angeles Times

His campaign message was a shambolic tapestry of fearmongering, race-baiting, transphobia, dishonesty, and increasingly irrelevant mumbling.

From Slate

As she dug into the existence of her family members and icons of the New Wave scene — not the MTV-ready icons most Americans know such as Blondie or Billy Idol, but a separate echelon of Vietnamese artists — she discovered a tapestry of broken dreams and unmet expectations beneath the surface.

From Los Angeles Times

In the grand tapestry of human existence, we are all connected.

From Los Angeles Times

Recipe developer and food writer Lesley Enston's new cookbook "Belly Full: Exploring Caribbean Cuisine Though 11 Fundamental Ingredients and Over 100 Recipes" delve deep into the staple ingredients which make up the rich tapestry that is Caribbean food.

From Salon

Related Words

• drapery