toile

noun \ ˈtwäl \

Updated on: 10 Apr 2018

Definition of toile

1 : any of many plain or simple twill weave fabrics; especially : linen

2 : a mock-up model of a garment

Recent Examples of toile from the Web

The Corrells' used pink toile to create a girly space for one daughter.

— diane cowen, Houston Chronicle, "A dramatic home makeover to inspire you," 6 Apr. 2018
Emily carried the greens and blues upstairs, complementing the existing green bed in the former master bedroom with a turquoise toile roman shade and an armchair covered in a linear geometric print.

— marni elyse katz, BostonGlobe.com, "Redesigning a vacation home for family gatherings and the retirement years," 30 Mar. 2018
That these clothes were made in the tradition of haute couture — special fabrics, cut on the round, sewn by hand, fitted painstakingly in toiles, molded on the body, pressed with hot irons — was implicit in every garment.

— cathy horyn, The Cut, "Clare Waight Keller’s astonishing haute-couture debut was 25 years in the making.," 18 Feb. 2018
Timorous Beasties, 384 Great Western Rd., West End, 337-2622; timorousbeasties.com: Irreverent textiles and wallpapers are a specialty, including trippy toiles and over-thetop velvets.

— ian phillips, ELLE Decor, "ELLE DECOR Goes to Glasgow and Edinburgh," 3 Mar. 2011
At Petit Marlowe, the newest addition to Weinberg’s Big Night Restaurant Group, the wallpaper is a gorgeous tableau of puttering ducks, elaborated in quaint black-and-white toile.

— esther mobley, San Francisco Chronicle, "At Petit Marlowe, drinkers find small appeal and big wine prices," 1 Nov. 2017
Rooms are cozy but not stodgy, with charming toile wallpaper, über-comfortable mattresses, and C.O. Bigelow toiletries

— Condé Nast Traveler, "Kimpton Hotel Monaco Philadelphia," 20 Oct. 2017
Recently opened in a double gallery townhouse in New Orleans's Garden District, the Henry Howard Hotel pays tribute to the city's musical heritage with custom toile wallpaper and a variety of jazz instruments used as wall décor.

— ELLE Decor, "11 Hotels To Visit Before You Decorate Your Home," 30 Mar. 2016
The design is toile, the whitest of white-bread decor, a textile steeped in colonialism and cotton.

— claire howorth, Time, "Review: We Were Eight Years In Power By Ta-Nehisi Coates," 12 Oct. 2017

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