applique

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UK/əˈpliː.keɪ/US/ˌæ.plɪˈkeɪ/US/ˈæ.plɪ.keɪ/

noun

A decorative design made by cutting pieces of material and applying them to the surface of another for decoration.

OriginFrench appliqué →
Less commonScrabble 21
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Meanings

nounapplique (countable and uncountable, plural appliques)

plural appliques · alternative appliqué

  1. countableuncountableartA decorative design made by cutting pieces of material and applying them to the surface of another for decoration.

    Has anybody seen a dog dyed dark green / […] / And designer jeans with appliques on it?

    1980, “Quiche Lorraine”, in Wild Planet, performed by The B-52's
verbapplique (third-person singular simple present appliques, present participle appliqueing, simple past and past participle appliqued)

present singular third person appliques · participle present appliqueing · participle past appliqued · past appliqued · alternative appliqué

  1. transitiveartTo decorate something in this way.

Origin

  1. Frenchappliqué
  2. Frenchappliqué
  3. Englishapplique

Borrowed from French appliqué.

More words from French

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Catalan aplicació
  • aplicaciódecorative design
Finnish applikointi, applikaatio
  • applikointidecorative design
  • applikaatiodecorative design
  • applikoidato decorate in this way
  • applisoidato decorate in this way
French appliqué inversé
  • appliqué inversédecorative design
German Applike, Applikation
  • Applikedecorative design
  • Applikationdecorative design
  • applizierento decorate in this way
Indonesian aplikasi
  • aplikasidecorative design
Latvian aplikācija
  • aplikācijadecorative design
Malay tampal hias
  • tampal hiasdecorative design
Māori tui tāpiripiri
  • tui tāpiripiridecorative design
Polish aplika, aplikacja
  • aplikadecorative design
  • aplikacjadecorative design
Russian апплика́ция
  • апплика́ция (applikácija)decorative design
Spanish aplique, decorar con apliques
  • apliquedecorative design
  • decorar con apliquesto decorate in this way
Cite this entry
APA

applique. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/applique

MLA

“applique.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/applique. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “applique,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/applique.

Source: applique on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.