velvet

1. A soft fabric, such as silk, rayon, or nylon, having a smooth, dense pile and a plain underside.
2. 1. Something suggesting the smooth surface of velvet.
   2. Smoothness; softness.
3. The soft, furry covering on the developing antlers of deer.
4. Informal.
   1. The winnings of a gambler.
   2. A profit or gain beyond what is expected or due.
5. New England. See milk shake (sense 1). See Regional Note at milk shake.

[Middle English veluet, probably from Old Provençal, from Vulgar Latin *villūtittus, diminutive of *villūtus, from Latin villus, shaggy hair, nap.]

For more information on velvet, visit Britannica.com.

The appearance of this elegant material in a dream may represent the dreamer's emotions-soft, sensuous, and elegant. If the dreamer is wearing velvet, it may indicate that some honor is forthcoming.

This article is about the fabric. For other uses, see Velvet (disambiguation).

A swatch of black cotton velvet

Velvet is a type of woven tufted fabric in which the cut threads are very evenly distributed, with a short dense pile, giving it a distinct feel.

Contents 1 Composition 2 History 3 See also 4 References

Composition

Velvet can be made from many different kinds of fibers. It is woven on a special loom that weaves two pieces of velvet at the same time. The two pieces are then cut apart and the two lengths of fabric are wound on separate take-up rolls. Velvet was very expensive and was among the luxury goods. Velvet is difficult to clean, but in modern times, dry cleaning is used.

Velvet pile is created by warp or vertical yarns and velveteen pile is created by weft or fill yarns.

Velvet is made, ideally, from silk. Cotton can also be used, though this often results in a slightly less luxurious fabric. More recently, synthetic velvets have been developed, mostly polyester, nylon, viscose, acetate, and mixtures of different synthetics, or synthetics and natural fibers (eg. viscose and silk). Velvet can also be made from fibers such as linen, mohair, and wool. A cloth made by the Kuba people of the Democratic Republic of Congo from raffia is often referred to as "Kuba velvet".

A small percentage of lycra is used sometimes to give stretch.

History

Velvet with Medici Arms, Florence or Venice, 1440–1500

The art of velvet-weaving probably originated in ancient Kashmir around the beginning of the fourteenth century.

King Richard II of England directed in his will that his body should be clothed in velveto in 1099.^[1]

The earliest sources of European artistic velvets were Lucca, Genoa, Florence and Venice, and Genoa continues to send out rich velvet textures. Somewhat later the art was taken up by Flemish weavers, and in the 16th century Bruges attained a reputation for velvets which was not inferior to that of the great Italian cities.

See also

Velvet painting

References

1. ^ L W Cowrie Dictionary of British Social History Wordsworth Reference p.304 ISBN 1-85326-378-8

This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica, Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.

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Dansk (Danish)
n. - fløjl, gevinst, profit

idioms:

• in velvet    fløjlsblødt
• on velvet    have det som blommen i et æg
• velvet revolution    fløjlsrevolution

Nederlands (Dutch)
fluweel, zacht vel om groeiend gewei, winst in gokken, winst/voordeel (boven verwachting), fluwelen, zacht

Français (French)
n. - velours, peau veloutée
adj. - de velours, velouté

idioms:

• on velvet    (avoir) la belle vie (arch)
• velvet revolution    (Pol) révolution de velours

Deutsch (German)
n. - Samt, Bast
adj. - Samt-

idioms:

• on velvet    in einer vorteilhaften Position
• velvet revolution    unblutige Revolution

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - βελούδο
adj. - βελούδινος, βελουδένιος, (μτφ.) απαλός (στην αφή)

idioms:

• in velvet    στη χλιδή
• on velvet    στη χλιδή
• velvet revolution    η βελούδινη επανάσταση

Italiano (Italian)
velluto, di velluto

idioms:

• cotton velvet    velluto di cotone
• on/in velvet    sul velluto
• velvet revolution    rivoluzione all'acqua di rose

Português (Portuguese)
n. - veludo (m), proveito (m) (gír.), lucro (m) (gír.)
adj. - aveludado

idioms:

• cotton velvet    veludo de algodão
• on/in velvet    na bela vida
• velvet revolution    revolução (f) branca (fig.)

Русский (Russian)
бархат, бархатистость, выгода, бархатный, густой

idioms:

• cotton velvet    вельвет
• on/in velvet    в выигрыше
• velvet revolution    "бархатная революция", бескровный политический переворот

Español (Spanish)
n. - terciopelo
adj. - de terciopelo, aterciopelado, suave

idioms:

• on velvet    estar en posición muy ventajosa o próspera
• velvet revolution    revolución política no violenta en Checoslovaquia a fines de 1989

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - sammet, vinst
adj. - sammets-

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
天鹅绒

idioms:

• in velvet    穿著丝绒衣服
• on velvet    在有利的地位
• velvet revolution    无流血革命

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 天鵝絨

idioms:

• in velvet    穿著絲絨衣服
• on velvet    在有利的地位
• velvet revolution    無流血革命

한국어 (Korean)
n. - 우단, 녹용 껍질, (투기로) 번 돈

idioms:

• in velvet    괜찮은 지위

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - ビロード
adj. - ビロードの, ビロードのような

idioms:

• on/in velvet    予想以上の成果
• velvet revolution    ビロード革命

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) مخمل, قطيفه (صفه) مخملي, ناعم‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮קטיפה‬

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