brocade

noun bro·cade \ brō-ˈkād \

|Updated on: 5 Jul 2018

Definition of brocade

1 : a rich silk fabric with raised patterns in gold and silver

2 : a fabric characterized by raised designs

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brocade

transitive verb

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brocaded

adjective

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Recent Examples of brocade from the Web

But this sparkling brocade coat turns that notion on its ear.

— jay baldos, Harper's BAZAAR, "5 Truly Gorgeous Ensembles to Wear This Holiday," 21 Nov. 2017
The 1890s dress was made of purple brocade, probably woven in Lyons in the 1860s.

— hamish bowles, Vogue, "A Brief History of the Arlesienne Fashion Plates Who Inspired Alessandro Michele’s Cruise Collection," 8 June 2018
Full brocade skirts and long tweed coats were paired with the most extravagant shoes: floral platforms, espadrilles with silk ribbons, and these ladylike, embroidered kitten heels in pink silk moire.

— rebecca ramsey, The Cut, "These Embellished Heels Are Pure Fashion-Girl Bait," 10 May 2018
Team Norway wore horned Viking helmets, and Team China dressed in traditional Chinese brocade shirts.

— ellen olivier, latimes.com, "Global Gourmet Games raises more than $3 million, pays tribute to leadership honoree Richard Merkin," 1 May 2018
Perched on a gold brocade couch in the Oval Office, Trump dispatched a top South Korean envoy to a darkened White House driveway to make the announcement.

— kevin liptak and jeremy diamond, CNN, "From grin to grim: Inside the Trump-Kim summit collapse," 24 May 2018
Just as in Europe faux marbling provided a cheaper alternative to stone, the painter here substituted pigments for brocade—eloquent testimony to the preciousness of textiles.

— lee lawrence, WSJ, "‘Dramatic Threads: Textiles of Asia’ Review: The Very Fabric of Asian Societies," 17 Mar. 2018
Leto upped the religious ante by pairing his suit with a floral brocade stole that was reminiscent of the clergy stoles that priests often wear, as well as a golden crown fit for a saint that sat on his flowing, shoulder-length locks.

— cady lang, Time, "Jared Leto Predictably Channels Jesus Christ at the 2018 Met Gala," 8 May 2018
Lead Image Credit: Prada poplin shirt, $780 and brocade dress, $2,620 at Prada.

— carina chocano, The Cut, "Melissa Barrera Is New in Town," 4 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'brocade.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of brocade

Spanish brocado, from Catalan brocat, from Italian broccato, from broccare to spur, brocade, from brocco small nail, from Latin broccus projecting

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1588

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year