tweed

¹

[ tweed ]

noun

1. a coarse wool cloth in a variety of weaves and colors, either hand-spun and handwoven in Scotland or reproduced, often by machine, elsewhere.
2. tweeds, garments made of this cloth.
3. a paper having a rough surface, used especially for certain photographic prints.

Tweed

²

[ tweed ]

noun

1. William Mar·cy [mahr, -see] Boss Tweed, 1823–78, U.S. politician.
2. a river flowing E from S Scotland along part of the NE boundary of England into the North Sea. 97 miles (156 km) long.
3. a male given name.

tweed

¹

/ twiːd /

noun

1. 1. a thick woollen often knobbly cloth produced originally in Scotland
   2. ( as modifier )

      a tweed coat

2. plural clothes made of this cloth, esp a man's or woman's suit
3. informal.
   plural trousers

Tweed

²

/ twiːd /

noun

1. a river in SE Scotland and NE England, flowing east and forming part of the border between Scotland and England, then crossing into England to enter the North Sea at Berwick. Length: 156 km (97 miles)

Word History and Origins

Origin of tweed¹

1835–45; apparently back formation from Scots tweedling twilling (now obsolete) < ?

Word History and Origins

Origin of tweed¹

C19: probably from tweel , a Scottish variant of twill , influenced by Tweed

Example Sentences

To my left was a tall, bald man wearing glasses and a tweed blazer.

From Los Angeles Times

Today he has swapped his chef's whites for a floral shirt and a green tweed blazer.

From BBC

King Charles was dressed in a tweed jacket and a navy, red and green kilt, and Camilla wore a navy dress with a feather pattern with a feathered hat.

From BBC

The whole world before me was a dark herringbone tweed.

From Literature

This garment, rendered in a tweed blend with a gorgeously mossy sheen, is both architectural in its structure and fluid in its silhouette.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• cashmere
• fleece
• fur
• hair
• mohair
• yarn