Forms: 5 enbrowder, -brouder, (onbrouder), embrawdre, 5–7 embrother, 6 enbroder, enbrauder, embrouder, 7 embroder, embroader, embroyder, 7– embroider. Also 5–6 imbrowder, 6 imbrother, imbrodur, imbroyder, 6–7 imbroder, 7 imbrayder, 7–8 imbroider. [f. EN- + BROIDER; cf. OF. embroder.]
1. trans. To ornament with needlework; to work in needlework upon cloth, etc. Also absol.
14[?]. Epiph. (Tundale’s Vis., 114). Yor quene … Of no devyse enbrowdyrd hath hir wede.
c. 1420. Chron. Vilod., 572. Þis palle enbroudryd wt gold so rede.
1475. Inv. Goods, in Rep. Comm. Hist. MSS., 1. 555. A cloth of blac worstede … with a whyte crosse imbrowderyd in v placis.
1483. Caxton, Gold. Leg., 331/2. A noble woman … was desyred tembrawdre certayne garmentes.
1494. Househ. Ord., 125. Above the opening … to bee embrothered the Kings and Queens armes.
1521. Mem. Ripon (1882), I. 183. With S. George on horsbake uppon the brest of the said abbit inbrowderid.
1552. Inv. Ch. Goods Norwich, in Norfolk Archæol. (1865), VII. 51. Twoo coopes of white damaske embroudered wt Lillypotts.
1555. Eden, Decades W. Ind. (Arb.), 197. Buskynnes … imbrothered with gold.
c. 1595. J. Dickenson, Sheph. Compl. (1878), 21. A faire hearse curiouslie embrothered.
1651. W. G., trans. Cowel’s Inst., 63. If any one … imbrayder his Purple in my garment.
1680. Anne Montague, in Hatton Corr. (1878), 241. A cheery coulerd satten embroderyed with silver thick.
1735. Berkeley, Querist, § 111. The women … embroider … for the embellishment of their persons.
1849. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., II. 476. The motto, embroidered in letters three feet long.
† b. transf. To ornament or variegate as if with embroidery. Sometimes ironically, to besmear with dirt or blood. Obs.
1460. in Pol. Rel. & L. Poems (1866), 152. Þese gloues … Onbroudrid with blood.
1591. Lyly, Endym., I. iii. 13. Their braines must as it were imbroder my bolts.
1596. Spenser, State Irel. (1633), 49. Guilded leather with which they use to imbroyder their Irish Iackets.
1624. Capt. Smith, Virginia, II. 30. Their women, some haue their legs, hands, breasts and face cunningly imbrodered with divers workes, as beasts, serpents.
c. 1630. Drumm. of Hawth., Poems, Wks. (1711), 38/1. Meadows … Embroyd’ring all the Banks.
c. 1640. [Shirley], Capt. Underwit, III. iii. in Bullen’s Old Pl., II. 367. To Westminster In our torne gownes, embroiderd with Strand dirt.
1685. R. Burton, Eng. Emp. Amer., iv. 68. The Women imbroider their Legs, Hands and other parts with divers works.
1762–71. H. Walpole, Vertue’s Anecd. Paint. (1786), III. 155. A whole gallery embroidered in pannels by his hand.
2. In various figurative uses.
† a. To make splendid, dignify. Obs.
1629. Symmer, Spir. Posie, II. vi. 39. So by his Humilitie he embroydered the basenesse of his birth.
a. 1667. Cowley, Obscurity, Wks. (1710), II. 704. Nor let my homely Death embroider’d be With Scutcheon, or with Elegy.
† b. To set forth in florid language. Cf. paint.
1636. Healey, Theophrast., 20. Embroidering and painting out his praise.
1648. Hunting of Fox, 3. Hee sang a song … in which … he passionatly embroyder’s what he had done for his well beloved.
c. To embellish with rhetorical ornament or with fictitious additions or exaggerations.
1614. Raleigh, Hist. World, II. 367. The Grecian Historians and Poets imbroder and intermixe the tales of ancient times, with a world of fictions.
1638. Featley, Transub., 23. The Doctor made an eloquent speech, imbroidered with all variety of learning.
a. 1797. H. Walpole, Mem. Geo. II. (1847), III. iv. 97. He had embroidered his own story with some marvellous legends.
1848. Mrs. Jameson, Sacr. & Leg. Art (1850), 326. The history of Vincent … has been extravagantly embroidered.
1884. Weekly Register, 18 Oct., 503/1. Whether the legend … was accurate or embroidered, Lord Malmesbury best knows.
