drapery

D2R1A1P3E1R1Y4
/ˈdɹeɪpəɹi/

noun

Cloth draped gracefully in folds.

Similar
curtaindrapemantlepall
OriginMiddle English draperie ← Old French draperie →
Less commonScrabble 13
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Meanings

noundrapery (countable and uncountable, plural draperies)

plural draperies

  1. uncountableCloth draped gracefully in folds.
  2. countableA piece of cloth, hung vertically as a curtain; a drape.

    The windows gleamed with light through the boughs—a small open space gave to view the left wing of the building—he could distinctly see the long range of illuminated apartments, figures moving to and fro, and the richly coloured fall of the draperies.

    1831, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], chapter XVIII, in Romance and Reality. […], volume III, London: Henry Colburn and Richard Bentley, […], →OCLC, page 306
  3. countableuncountableThe occupation of a draper; cloth-making, or dealing in cloth.

    He made also statutes for the maintenance of drapery and the keeping of wools within the realm

    1622, Francis, Lord Verulam, Viscount St. Alban [i.e. Francis Bacon], The Historie of the Raigne of King Henry the Seventh, […], London: […] W[illiam] Stansby for Matthew Lownes, and William Barret, →OCLC
  4. countableuncountableCloth, or woollen materials in general.

    people who ought to be weighing out grocery or measuring out drapery

    1859, Thomas Macaulay, The Life of William Pitt

Synonyms & antonyms

nounhanging cloth used as a blind (especially for a window)

Similar
curtaindrapemantlepall
Broader
blindscreenfurnishing
Also see
curtaindrapemantlepall

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Old Frenchdraperie
  2. Middle Englishdraperie
  3. Englishdrapery

From Middle English draperie, from Old French draperie, from drap (“drape, sheet, large cloth”), ultimately of Germanic origin.

More words from Middle English, Old French

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian драперия
  • драперия (draperija)uncountable: cloth draped gracefully in folds
Catalan cortina
  • cortinacountable: a piece of cloth, hung vertically as a curtain
Esperanto drapiraĵo, kurteno
  • drapiraĵouncountable: cloth draped gracefully in folds
  • kurtenocountable: a piece of cloth, hung vertically as a curtain
  • drapiraĵocountable: a piece of cloth, hung vertically as a curtain
Finnish drapeeraus, verho
  • drapeerausuncountable: cloth draped gracefully in folds
  • verhocountable: a piece of cloth, hung vertically as a curtain
French rideau
  • rideaucountable: a piece of cloth, hung vertically as a curtain
German Vorhang
  • Vorhangcountable: a piece of cloth, hung vertically as a curtain
Irish éadaitheoireacht
  • éadaitheoireachtthe occupation of a draper
Italian tenda
  • tendacountable: a piece of cloth, hung vertically as a curtain
Portuguese drapeado, cortina
  • drapeadouncountable: cloth draped gracefully in folds
  • cortinacountable: a piece of cloth, hung vertically as a curtain
Romanian draperie, perdea
  • draperiecountable: a piece of cloth, hung vertically as a curtain
  • perdeacountable: a piece of cloth, hung vertically as a curtain
Spanish cortina
  • cortinacountable: a piece of cloth, hung vertically as a curtain
Swedish draperi
  • drapericountable: a piece of cloth, hung vertically as a curtain
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

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