Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A heavy fabric interwoven with a rich, raised design.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • To weave with a pattern in relief, for the ornamentation and enrichment of the fabric.
  • noun A silken fabric variegated with gold and silver, or having raised flowers, foliage, and other ornaments: also applied to other stuffs wrought and enriched in like manner.
  • noun A kind of bronze-powder used for decorating.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun Silk stuff, woven with gold and silver threads, or ornamented with raised flowers, foliage, etc.; -- also applied to other stuffs thus wrought and enriched.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun countable, uncountable A thick heavy fabric into which raised patterns have been woven.
  • noun An item decorated with brocade.
  • verb To decorate fabric with raised woven patterns.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • verb weave a design into (textiles)
  • noun thick heavy expensive material with a raised pattern

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Spanish or Portuguese brocado, from Italian brocato, from brocco, twisted thread, from Vulgar Latin *brocca, spike, from Latin brocchus, projecting, of Celtic origin.]

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Examples

Comments

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  • A woven fabric, usually of silk, with raised designs formed by colored threads; or any one-sided fabric with raised designs. See also damask.

    February 6, 2007