frieze

1 of 2

noun (1)

1
: a heavy durable coarse wool and shoddy fabric with a rough surface
2
: a pile surface of uncut loops or of patterned cut and uncut loops

frieze

2 of 2

noun (2)

1
: the part of an entablature between the architrave (see architrave sense 1) and the cornice (see cornice entry 1 sense 1)
2
: a sculptured or richly ornamented band (as on a building or piece of furniture)
3
: a band, line, or series suggesting a frieze
a constant frieze of visitors wound its way around the … ruinsMollie Panter-Downes
friezelike adjective

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Frieze and Clothing

Both of the frieze homographs derive from French, but each entered that language through a different channel. The woolen homograph is from the Middle Dutch word vriese, which also refers to coarse wool. The other homograph of frieze is from the Latin word frisium, meaning "embroidered cloth." That word evolved from phrygium and Phrygia, the name of an ancient country of Asia Minor whose people excelled in metalwork, wood carving, and (unsurprisingly) embroidery. That embroidery lineage influenced the use of frieze for the middle division of an entablature, which commonly has a decorated surface resembling embroidered cloth.

Examples of frieze in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
In addition to murals, the archive will also include three-dimensional reliefs, friezes and sculptures. Julia Binswanger, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 Feb. 2024 Excavations have revealed gorgeous stucco friezes and mural paintings, as well as burial chambers for kings and nobility. Meagan Drillinger, Travel + Leisure, 14 Feb. 2024 Inside, however, the walls of this seemingly unassuming home are adorned with friezes, stained glass, gilded molding and vibrant designs, all crafted by decorative artist David Parr between 1886 and 1927. Joan Bailey, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 Feb. 2023 The statue sits atop a 32-foot-tall pedestal featuring four urns, representing the four years of the Civil War, and a frieze with 14 shields, which represent the 11 Confederate states and the border states of Missouri, Maryland and Kentucky. Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 20 Dec. 2023 The memorial, atop a 32-foot pedestal that towers over surrounding graves, features the bronze figure of a woman representing the American South, surrounded by a frieze of figures such as a Black man following his enslaver into war and a Black woman holding the infant of a Confederate officer. Tom Jackman, Washington Post, 18 Dec. 2023 The British Museum exhibits the frieze in a cubicle shaped like the cella, and viewers climb stairs to examine it in merciless proximity. Dominic Green, WSJ, 19 Aug. 2022 Visitors would encounter in the lobby a panoramic frieze depicting Deng’s 1984 visit to Shekou, a tribute that curators described as the museum’s centerpiece. Time, 16 June 2023 When complete, Howard’s immense frieze will tell the story of an American reluctantly answering the call to war—a deeply personal and individual story and the grand symbolic story of the nation all at once. Jeff MacGregor, Smithsonian Magazine, 23 May 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'frieze.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English frise, from Anglo-French, from Middle Dutch vriese

Noun (2)

Middle French frise, perhaps from Medieval Latin phrygium, frisium embroidered cloth, from Latin phrygium, from neuter of Phrygius Phrygian, from Phrygia

First Known Use

Noun (1)

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

1563, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of frieze was in the 15th century

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Dictionary Entries Near frieze

Cite this Entry

“Frieze.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/frieze. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

frieze

noun
ˈfrēz
: a sculptured or ornamental band (as around a building)

More from Merriam-Webster on frieze

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