upholstery

noun up·hol·stery \ (ˌ)əp-ˈhōl-st(ə-)rē , (ˌ)ə-ˈpōl- \

Updated on: 16 Apr 2018

Definition of upholstery

plural upholsteries

: materials (such as fabric, padding, and springs) used to make a soft covering especially for a seat

See upholstery defined for English-language learners

See upholstery defined for kids

Examples of upholstery in a Sentence

an old chair that needs new upholstery
He learned upholstery from his father.

Recent Examples of upholstery from the Web

The vacuum comes with an extra level of filtration to help get rid of pesky allergens and can be used on a ton of different surfaces like carpets, upholstery, stairs, counter tops, and hard floors.

— lindsey murray, Good Housekeeping, "This Popular Bissell Vacuum Is $60 on Amazon Today," 4 Apr. 2018
The raspberry, teal, and yellow sofa upholstery was the starting point.

— BostonGlobe.com, "At a Lake Winnipesaukee getaway, a ‘barn’ designed for fun," 30 Mar. 2018
Standard furnishings are black leatherette/microfiber upholstery combined with piano-black and aluminum trim.

— steve siler, Car and Driver, "2019 Mercedes-AMG C63 Sedan, Coupe, and Cabriolet," 29 Mar. 2018
The base comes with Shale (gray) fabric upholstery.

— mark maynard, sandiegouniontribune.com, "2018 Buick Regal TourX: A welcome wagon," 23 Mar. 2018
Photo: Lucy Hewett for The Wall Street Journal 8:30 p.m. Sit for a spell at Japanese Grandma’s, a restaurant where colorful tropical upholstery meets Japanese minimalism.

— martha cheng, WSJ, "3 Perfect Days on Kauai: The Quintessential Hawaiian Island," 21 Mar. 2018
The large-scale floral repeats seen in Valentino's Fall 2018 Read-to-Wear collection were ingenious, in part due to the fact that patterns that big are usually reserved for wallpaper and upholstery.

— madeleine luckel, Vogue, "Fashion and Wallpaper Are Recommitting to Each Other in a Major Way," 8 Mar. 2018
While base models come with a standard four-cylinder engine, our SLT-1 All-Terrain version came with the uplevel 3.6-liter V-6, along with leather upholstery, all-wheel drive and special badges.

— g. chambers williams iii, star-telegram, "GMC’s 2018 Acadia crossover offers All-Terrain version for off-road jaunts | Fort Worth Star-Telegram," 24 Feb. 2018
Melchiorre also asked jurors to consider lies Graham told police about blood in the minivan, the location of the minivan, how it was damaged and how the upholstery came to be ripped from the rear bench seat.

— david owens, courant.com, "'They Build Jails For People Like You,' Judge Tells Robert Graham Before Sentencing Him To Life," 29 Mar. 2018

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

Origin and Etymology of upholstery

Middle English upholdester upholsterer, from upholden to uphold, from up + holden to hold

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1597

See Words from the same year

UPHOLSTERY Defined for English Language Learners

upholstery

noun

Definition of upholstery for English Language Learners

: the cloth, leather, etc., that covers a couch, chair, etc.
: the process or business of covering pieces of furniture with cloth, leather, etc.

UPHOLSTERY Defined for Kids

upholstery

noun up·hol·stery \ ˌəp-ˈhōl-stə-rē \

Definition of upholstery for Students

plural upholsteries

: materials used to make a soft covering for a seat

Learn More about upholstery

Spanish Central: Translation of upholstery Nglish: Translation of upholstery for Spanish speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about upholstery

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up upholstery? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show

upholstery

Definition of upholstery

Examples of upholstery in a Sentence

Recent Examples of upholstery from the Web

Origin and Etymology of upholstery

UPHOLSTERY Defined for English Language Learners

upholstery

Definition of upholstery for English Language Learners

UPHOLSTERY Defined for Kids

upholstery

Definition of upholstery for Students

Learn More about upholstery

Seen and Heard

WORD OF THE DAY

traduce

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Test Your Vocabulary

Words at Play

Words from Letters in the Greek Alphabet

'Preventive' or 'Preventative'?

Words We're Watching: 'Bluebeard,' the Verb

Where 'Cliff-hangers' Come From

Ask the Editors

2017 Word of the Year: Behind the Scenes

Words of the Year: 1066

Literally

Is Singular 'They' a Better Choice?

Word Games

Odd Habits and Quirks Quiz

More Confusing Words—Quiz

True or False?

Word Winder's CrossWinder

Going Greek: 7 Words from the Greek Alphabet

'Preventive' or 'Preventative'?

Odd Habits and Quirks Quiz

Trending: Trump: Den of Thieves and 'Lowlifes'

2017 Word of the Year: Behind the Scenes

upholstery

Definition of upholstery

Examples of upholstery in a Sentence

Recent Examples of upholstery from the Web

Origin and Etymology of upholstery

UPHOLSTERY Defined for English Language Learners

upholstery

Definition of upholstery for English Language Learners

UPHOLSTERY Defined for Kids

upholstery

Definition of upholstery for Students

Learn More about upholstery

Seen and Heard

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games

Going Greek: 7 Words from the Greek Alphabet

'Preventive' or 'Preventative'?

Odd Habits and Quirks Quiz

Trending: Trump: Den of Thieves and 'Lowlifes'

2017 Word of the Year: Behind the Scenes