verb

embroider

ihm-BROY-duh

Embroider (verb) means to decorate fabric with a needle and coloured thread in a pattern or design. Example: “She embroidered her initials onto the pillowcase.”

verb

To decorate fabric with a needle and coloured thread in a pattern or design.

"She embroidered her initials onto the pillowcase."

"The tailor embroidered gold thread along the jacket's collar."

To add extra, often exaggerated or invented, details to a story to make it more interesting.

"He tends to embroider his fishing stories a little."

How to use embroider

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishTo stitch decorative patterns onto cloth, or to exaggerate a story with extra invented details.

Common pairings

embroider a design embroider the truth embroider a story

Word forms

embroidered past tense, embroiders singular

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She _____ her initials onto the pillowcase.

Etymology

From Middle English embrouderen, frequentative of embrouden (“to decorate, embroider”), equivalent to embroid + -er. Middle English embrouden itself comes from Anglo-Norman embrouder, from Old French embrosder (“to embroider”), ultimately of Germanic origin, though the exact pathway is uncertain. Possibly an intensive of Old French brosder, brouder (compare Norman broudaïr), from Gothic *𐌱𐍂𐌿𐌶𐌳𐍉𐌽 (*bruzdōn), related to English bristle and brad. Alternatively, perhaps from Frankish *anbroʀdōn (“to embroider, stitch”), related to Old High German anabrortōn (“to embroider”), Old English onbryrdan (“to prick, incite”).

Origin: Middle English

Synonyms

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Rhymes for embroider

cider rider spider glider raider slider Haider insider consider outsider provider collider

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Frequently asked questions

What does “embroider” mean?

The word “embroider” means to decorate fabric with a needle and coloured thread in a pattern or design. In plain terms, to stitch decorative patterns onto cloth, or to exaggerate a story with extra invented details.

How do you pronounce “embroider”?

“Embroider” is pronounced ihm-BROY-duh (/ɪmˈbɹɔɪdɚ/ in IPA).

How do you use “embroider” in a sentence?

Here is “embroider” used in a sentence: “She embroidered her initials onto the pillowcase.”

What part of speech is “embroider”?

“Embroider” is a verb.

How many meanings does “embroider” have?

“Embroider” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: to decorate fabric with a needle and coloured thread in a pattern or design.

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