Forms: 5–6 aras, ares, 6 arays, arase, aresse, arres, (aryste, -iste), 6–7 arasse, 7 arrace, 4–9 arras. [a. Arras, name of a town in Artois famed for its manufacture of the fabric.]
1397. Will of John of Gaunt, in Nichols, Royal Wills, 156. Draps d’Arras.
1536. Bellenden, Cron. Scotl. (1821), II. 56. Claithis of arres, and tapestreis.
1776. [see 4].
1823. Lingard, Hist. Eng., VI. 69. The walls hung with cloth of arras.
1. A rich tapestry fabric, in which figures and scenes are woven in colors.
c. 1400. Epiph. (Turnb., 1843), 114. Or was ther arras abowt hur hede bownd?
1531. Elyot, Gov., III. ii. (1557), 144. With riche arasse or tapestrye.
1596. Unton Invent., 7. One olde coverlett of Ariste.
a. 1626. Bacon, Maximus Com. Law, xxv. (1636), 92. My suit of Arras with the story of the Nativity and Passion.
1790. Cowper, Odyss., X. 14. Stateliest couches, with rich arras spread.
1816. Byron, Siege Cor., xxi. Like the figures on arras, that gloomily glare.
2. A hanging screen of this material formerly placed round the walls of household apartments, often at such a distance from them as to allow of people being concealed in the space between.
1598. Shaks., Merry W., III. iii. 97. She shall not see me, I will ensconce mee behinde the Arras.
1678. R. Lestrange, Seneca’s Mor. (1702), 203. The Rusling of a Rat behind the Arras.
1823. Scott, Quentin D., x. His guide … vanished through a side-door behind the arras.
1876. Green, Eng. People, vii. § 8. 446. She called for a sword … and thrust it from time to time through the arras.
3. fig. or transf. from prec. senses. (See also next.)
c. 1630. Drumm. of Hawth., Irene, Wks. 1711, 170. When ye enter into the cabinets of your own hearts, and there, for finest arras and pourtraits, find millions of Christians … disfigured, massacred, butcher’d.
1856. Kane, Arct. Expl., I. xiv. 153. Fires, buffalo-robes, and an arras of investing sail-cloth, were unavailing to bring up the mean temperature to the freezing-point.
4. attrib., as arras cloth, hangings, weaver work.
1485. Inv., in Ripon Ch. Acts, 366. Coopertorium lecti, de areswerke.
1542. Udall, Erasm. Apophth. (1564), 13. Aresse hanginges, and the other delices of riche men.
1565. Golding, Ovid’s Met., VI. (1593), 131. And with an arras weaver’s combe of box she fiercely smit Arachne.
1575. Churchyard, Chippes (1817), 185. My houses … Stuft with rich things, and arras clothes inow.
1643. Herle, Answ. Ferne, 3. Clemens Alexandrinus called his … bookes of Divinity pictured tapistry or Arras-work.
1776. Gibbon, Decl. & F., I. 278. Linen from Egypt and Arras cloth from Gaul?
1831. Carlyle, Sart. Res., II. iii. 71. Our dim arras-picture of these University years.
1852. D. Moir, Tombless Man, v. Wks. II. 365. From the panelings, in mouldy shreds, Hung what was arras loom-work.
