Meanings
nounembroidery (countable and uncountable, plural embroideries)
plural embroideries
- countableuncountableThe ornamentation of fabric using needlework.
- countableuncountableA piece of embroidered fabric.
‘No,’ said Luke, grinning at her. ‘You're not dull enough! […] What about the kid's clothes? I don't suppose they were anything to write home about, but didn't you keep anything? A bootee or a bit of embroidery or anything at all?’
1963, Margery Allingham, chapter 15, in The China Governess: A Mystery, London: Chatto & Windus, →OCLC - countablefigurativelyuncountableThe elaboration of an account, etc. with details, especially when fictitious.
Synonyms & antonyms
nounelaboration of an interpretation by the use of decorative (sometimes fictitious) detail
Similar
Also see
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Middle Frenchembrouderie
- Englishembroidery
From Middle French embrouderie, from embrouder + -erie. By surface analysis, embroider + -y.
More words from Middle French
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic تَطْرِيز
- تَطْرِيز (taṭrīz)ornamentation
Bulgarian бродерия, бродерия
- бродерия (broderija)ornamentation
- бродерия (broderija)fabric
Catalan brodat
- brodatornamentation
Chinese Mandarin 刺繡 /刺绣, 刺繡品 /刺绣品
- 刺繡 /刺绣 (cìxiù)ornamentation
- 刺繡品 /刺绣品 (cìxiù pǐn)fabric
Czech vyšívání, výšivka
- vyšíváníart
- výšivkaornamentation
Danish broderi, broderi
- broderiart
- broderiornamentation
- udsmykningelaboration of an account with details
Dutch borduren, borduren
- bordurenart
- bordurenornamentation
- borduurwerkfabric
Esperanto brodado, brodaĵo
- brodadoart
- brodaĵoornamentation
Estonian tikand, tikandus
- tikandart
- tikandusart
- väljaõmblusart
Finnish kirjonta, kirjonta
- kirjontaart
- kirjontaornamentation
- kirjailuornamentation
- koristeompeluornamentation
- koruompeluornamentation
- kirjontatyöfabric
- koruommelfabric
- värittäminenelaboration of an account with details
French broderie, broderie
- broderieart
- broderieornamentation
- broderiefabric
- broderieelaboration of an account with details
- enjolivementelaboration of an account with details
German Sticken, Stickerei
- Stickenart
- Stickereiornamentation
- Stickenornamentation
- Stickereifabric
- Ausschmückungelaboration of an account with details
Greek κέντημα, κέντημα
- κέντημα (kéntima)ornamentation
- κέντημα (kéntima)fabric
Hindi चिक काढना
- चिक काढना (cik kāḍhnā)ornamentation
Hungarian hímzés, hímzés
- hímzésart
- hímzésornamentation
- kézimunkaornamentation
- hímzésfabric
- kézimunkafabric
- kiszínezéselaboration of an account with details
Icelandic útsaumur, ísaumur
- útsaumurart
- ísaumurart
Indonesian sulam, bordir
- sulamornamentation
- bordirornamentation
Irish bróidnéireacht, bróidnéireacht
- bróidnéireachtornamentation
- bróidnéireachtfabric
Italian ricamo, ricamo
- ricamoart
- ricamoornamentation
Japanese 刺繍, エンブロイダリー
- 刺繍 (shishū)ornamentation
- エンブロイダリー (enburoidarī)ornamentation
Korean 자수
- 자수 (jasu)ornamentation
Latin acupictura
- acupicturaornamentation
Latvian izšūšana
- izšūšanaart
Malay tekat
- tekatornamentation
Norwegian Bokmål broderi, broderi
- broderiart
- broderiornamentation
- broderifabric
Polish hafciarstwo, haftowanie
- hafciarstwoart
- haftowanieart
- haftornamentation
- haftfabric
- upiększenieelaboration of an account with details
Portuguese bordado, bordado
- bordadoornamentation
- bordadofabric
Punjabi ਕਢਾਈ
- ਕਢਾਈ (kaḍhāī)ornamentation
Romanian broderie, broderie
- broderieart
- broderieornamentation
Russian вышива́ние, вы́шивка
- вышива́ние (vyšivánije)art
- вы́шивка (výšivka)art
- вышива́ние (vyšivánije)ornamentation
- вы́шивка (výšivka)fabric
- вышива́ние (vyšivánije)fabric
Scottish Gaelic obair-ghréise, gréis
- obair-ghréiseornamentation
- gréisornamentation
- obair-ghréisefabric
- gréisfabric
Slovak vyšívanie, výšivka
- vyšívanieart
- výšivkaornamentation
Spanish bordado, bordado
- bordadoart
- bordadoornamentation
- bordaduraornamentation
Swedish broderi, broderi
- broderiart
- broderiornamentation
Tagalog burdá
- burdáornamentation
Thai งานเย็บปักถักร้อย
- งานเย็บปักถักร้อยornamentation
Turkish nakış
- nakışornamentation
Ukrainian вишива́ння, ви́шивка
- вишива́ння (vyšyvánnja)art
- ви́шивка (výšyvka)art
- гаптува́ння (haptuvánnja)art
- вишивка (vyšyvka)ornamentation
- вишива́ння (vyšyvánnja)ornamentation
- вишивання (vyšyvannja)fabric
- вишивка (vyšyvka)fabric
Vietnamese đồ thêu
- đồ thêuornamentation
Welsh brodwaith
- brodwaithornamentation
Yiddish אויסנייעכץ
- אויסנייעכץ (oysneyekhts)ornamentation
Cite this entry
APA
embroidery. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/embroidery
MLA
“embroidery.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/embroidery. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “embroidery,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/embroidery.
Source: embroidery on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.