Forms: 4 enbrouderie, 6–7 embroyderie, -broiderie, 7– embroidery. Also 6 imbroderie, 7 imbrodry, imbrauthery, imbroidery. [ME. embrouderie, f. OF. embroder EMBROWD v.: see -RY; cf. EMBROIDER and BROIDERY.]

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  1.  The art of ornamenting cloth and other fabrics with figures of needlework; also attrib.

2

1393.  Gower, Conf., II. 11. Of weving or of embrouderie.

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1711.  Addison, Spect., No. 10, ¶ 6. Their more serious Occupations are Sowing and Embroidery.

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1872.  Yeats, Techn. Hist. Comm., 286. The ancient feminine occupation of embroidery.

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1883.  ‘Ouida,’ Wanda, I. 80. She sat down to her embroidery frame.

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  2.  concr. Embroidered work or material.

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c. 1570.  Thynne, Pride & Lowl. (1841), 12. With silke, and golde, and with imbroderie.

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1598.  Shaks., Merry W., V. v. 75. Saphire, pearle, and rich embroiderie.

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1633.  G. Herbert, Temple, Vanitie. To whom … solid work [shines not] as false embroyderies.

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1688.  R. Holme, Armoury, III. 94/2. A mock or cheat Waist-coat with Imbrauthery.

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1699.  Evelyn, Acetaria, Plan. Flowers … Embroyderies, Carvings.

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1716.  Lady M. W. Montague, Lett., I. vii. 22. Window-curtains … almost covered with Embroidery.

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1836.  W. Irving, Astoria, I. 7. They even sell their embroidery, their lace, and their clothes.

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  3.  fig. with notion of ‘elaborate or showy ornament,’ ‘adventitious adornment,’ etc.

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1640.  G. Bucke, in Yorke, Union Hon., Pref. Verses. Thats but imbrodry of Fame.

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1675.  Traherne, Chr. Ethicks, xxx. 473. He [a Liberal man] puts embroideries on Religion by the chearfulness of his Spirit.

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1763.  Hume, Hist. Eng. (1806), IV. liii. 124. Their liturgy was … a species of mass, though with some less shew and embroidery.

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1781.  Cowper, Expost., 234. All the embroidery of poetic dreams.

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1848.  H. Miller, First Impr., xvi. (1857), 277. An embroidery of playful humour.

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1858.  Hawthorne, Fr. & It. Jrnls., II. 112. Rather more embroidery of courtesy than belongs to an Englishman.

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  b.  Mus. Ornamentation either contrapuntal or through variation.

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1875.  Ouseley, Mus. Form, ix. 49. Brilliant passages … form an embroidery thereon.

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  4.  transf. Applied to other kinds of ornament or marking compared in appearance to needlework, esp. (in poetical or elevated language) to the natural adornment of the ground by flowers. † In 17th c. used techn. in landscape gardening.

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1644.  Evelyn, Mem. (1857), I. 79. The parterres of excellent embroidery. Ibid. (1669), French Gardiner, II. § 1. 150. Those Melons which are full of Embrodery and Characters.

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a. 1667.  Cowley, Poverty, Wks. (1711), III. 58. Daisies … their Embroidery bring.

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1695.  Lond. Gaz., No. 3118/4. All sorts of Gardens … in Embroidery work in Grass or Gravil.

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1820.  Scott, Monast., I. 94. And it was garnished with an embroidery of daisies and wild flowers.

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  ¶ 5.  nonce-use. A place of embroidering; an embroidery manufactory.

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1796.  Burke, Regic. Peace, Wks. VIII. 275. From the embroideries of Babylon or from the loom of the Gobelins.

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