noun

brocade

bruh-KAYD

noun

A heavy fabric woven with a raised, often ornate pattern, traditionally in gold or silver thread.

"The curtains were made of a rich gold brocade."

"She wore a jacket cut from antique silk brocade."

verb

To weave a raised decorative pattern into fabric.

"The weavers brocaded the silk with images of birds and flowers."

How to Use Brocade

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishA fancy, textured fabric with a raised pattern woven right into it, rather than printed on top.

Common mistake

Don't confuse with "brocaded" objects (things covered in brocade) with the raw fabric itself.

Common pairings

gold brocade silk brocade brocade fabric brocaded jacket

brocaded past tense, brocades plural, brocades singular

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Can you complete this real example?

The curtains were made of a rich gold _____.

From French brocart and Italian broccato, ultimately from a Gaulish root meaning a spike or shoot — the same root that gives us "broccoli."

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