velvet

C2 Topic:Materials & Substances

Also spelled welwet

US /ˈvɛlvɪt/ UK /ˈvɛlvɪt/ See IPA manual

Freq #9370

Meanings

1

noun
A closely woven fabric (originally of silk, now also of cotton or man-made fibres) with a thick short pile on one side.

For the first time since her husband's death, she had thrown off her weeds, and put on attire more suited to the occasion. She was richly, yet plainly dressed, in a purple velvet, with a hood of white point lace. Even her silent handmaids were surprised out of their ordinary propriety by her appearance.
2

noun
Very fine fur, including the skin and fur on a deer's antlers.

His [a hart's] head when it commeth firſt out, hath a ruſſet pyll vpon it, the which is called Veluet, […].
3

verb
To cover with velvet or with a covering of a similar texture.

Penmachno mill is situate where a stream has furrowed a deep channel, and velveted the rocks with the richest mosses […].
4

verb
To coat raw meat in starch, then in oil, preparatory to frying.

Blanching cut and specially marinated chicken in oil or water prior to stir-frying is a technique common to Chinese restaurant kitchens. The 20-second bath tenderizes the chicken remarkably, hence the process has been dubbed "velveting" in English. Velveted chicken is half-cooked, will not stick to the pan, and needs almost no oil when stir-fried.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Word family

Derived forms velveteen velvety

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

velvet bean
a climbing legume with hairy pods, grown as a cover crop or animal forage

Noun + noun

Simplified etymology

Velvet came into Middle English ultimately from Latin villus, meaning “tuft” or “down.” Velour, which entered English in the early 18th century, derives from the same Latin source.

Etymology

From Middle English velvet, velwet, veluet, from Old Occitan veluet, from Vulgar Latin *villutittus, diminutive of villūtus, from Latin villus (“shaggy hair, tuft of hair”). Cognate with French velours.

Topics

Materials & Substances

External links

# velvet

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2
**Part of speech:** noun, verb
**IPA (US):** /ˈvɛlvɪt/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈvɛlvɪt/
**Frequency rank:** 9370

## Meanings
1. A closely woven fabric (originally of silk, now also of cotton or man-made fibres) with a thick short pile on one side.
2. Very fine fur, including the skin and fur on a deer's antlers.
3. To cover with velvet or with a covering of a similar texture.
4. To coat raw meat in starch, then in oil, preparatory to frying.

## Examples
- For the first time since her husband's death, she had thrown off her weeds, and put on attire more suited to the occasion. She was richly, yet plainly dressed, in a purple velvet, with a hood of white point lace. Even her silent handmaids were surprised out of their ordinary propriety by her appearance.
- His [a hart's] head when it commeth firſt out, hath a ruſſet pyll vpon it, the which is called Veluet, […].
- Penmachno mill is situate where a stream has furrowed a deep channel, and velveted the rocks with the richest mosses […].
- Blanching cut and specially marinated chicken in oil or water prior to stir-frying is a technique common to Chinese restaurant kitchens. The 20-second bath tenderizes the chicken remarkably, hence the process has been dubbed "velveting" in English. Velveted chicken is half-cooked, will not stick to the pan, and needs almost no oil when stir-fried.

## Derived Forms
- velveteen
- velvety

## Etymology
From Middle English velvet, velwet, veluet, from Old Occitan veluet, from Vulgar Latin *villutittus, diminutive of villūtus, from Latin villus (“shaggy hair, tuft of hair”). Cognate with French velours.

## Topics
- Materials & Substances

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