tapestry

noun

tap·​es·​try ˈta-pə-strē 

plural tapestries

1

a

: a heavy handwoven reversible textile used for hangings, curtains, and upholstery and characterized by complicated pictorial designs

b

: a nonreversible imitation of tapestry used chiefly for upholstery

c

: embroidery on canvas resembling woven tapestry

needlepoint tapestry

2

: something resembling tapestry (as in complexity or richness of design)

nature's rich tapestry

Did you know?

Several languages weave through the history of tapestry, which comes from a Greek word meaning “carpet” and traveled through Anglo-French and Middle English before arriving in modern English in the 15th century. Tapestry originally referred to a heavy handwoven reversible textile used for hangings, curtains, and upholstery, and characterized by complicated pictorial designs. It still does today, but the word has fittingly developed a “tapestry” of additional senses. It may describe a nonreversible imitation of tapestry used chiefly for upholstery, or embroidery on canvas resembling woven tapestry. It can also refer figuratively to anything made up of different parts, as in “nature’s rich tapestry.” Tapestry isn’t the only art word that’s developed a figurative “medley” sense; collage (“a work of art made by adhering pieces of different materials (such as paper, cloth, or wood) to a flat surface”) and mosaic (“a decoration made by inlaying small pieces of variously colored material (such as glass or ceramic) to form pictures or patterns”) are both used figuratively to mean “a collection of different things.”

Examples of tapestry in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Production designer Nathan Crowley transforms the city’s emerald tapestry, giving the bride circular trees that line the aisle. —Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 23 Nov. 2025

If the tapestry is large enough, even Caesar is small. —Cressida Leyshon, New Yorker, 23 Nov. 2025

In Fresh Fly Fabulous, Way and Romero invite readers into a cultural tapestry of Black style, telling the story of how the sound of Hip Hop gave the world an intimate language about aspects of Black life. —Lynnette Nicholas, Essence, 21 Nov. 2025

But Macdonald and Edward-Rice make the story a seemingly chaotic tapestry of car commercials, news reports, leftist infighting via 16mm films, traditional broadcast TV, and phone calls about the need to get flies in winter for one of Yoko’s art installations. —Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 18 Nov. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, modification of Anglo-French tapicerie, from tapit, tapis carpet, hanging, from Greek tapētion, diminutive of tapēt-, tapēs carpet

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing tapestry

• tapestry carpet

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Kids Definition

tapestry

noun

tap·​es·​try ˈtap-ə-strē 

plural tapestries

: a heavy cloth that has designs or pictures woven into it and is used especially as a wall hanging

tapestried

-strēd

adjective