noun

velvet

VEHL-viht

noun

A closely woven fabric with a thick, short, soft pile on one side, traditionally made of silk but now often cotton or synthetic fibre.

"She wore a deep red velvet dress to the gala."

"The curtains were a heavy black velvet."

The soft, fuzzy layer of skin and fur covering a deer's antlers while they are growing.

"Bucks rub the velvet off their antlers against trees in late summer."

verb

To coat raw meat in a starch-and-oil mixture before stir-frying, to keep it tender.

"The recipe calls for velveting the chicken before it hits the wok."

adj

Made of velvet, or soft and smooth like velvet.

"The wine had a velvet finish that lingered pleasantly."

How to Use Velvet

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishA soft, plush fabric with a short furry pile, or an adjective for anything that feels or sounds that smooth and soft.

Common pairings

velvet curtains velvet finish velvet glove red velvet

more velvet comparative, velveted past tense, velvets plural, velvets singular, most velvet superlative

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She wore a deep red _____ dress to the gala.

From Middle English velvet, from Old Occitan veluet, ultimately from Latin villus ("shaggy hair, tuft"). Related to French velours.