velvet

Meaning

Noun

1. (countable, uncountable) A closely woven fabric (originally of silk, now also of cotton or man-made fibres) with a thick short pile on one side.
2. (countable, uncountable) Very fine fur, including the skin and fur on a deer's antlers.
3. (countable, rare) A female chinchilla; a sow.
4. (slang, uncountable) The drug dextromethorphan.
5. (slang, uncountable) Money acquired by gambling.

Verb

1. To cover with velvet or with a covering of a similar texture.
2. To coat raw meat in starch, then in oil, preparatory to frying.
3. To remove the velvet from a deer's antlers.
4. (figuratively, transitive) To soften; to mitigate.
5. to retract.

Adj

1. Made of velvet.
2. Soft and delicate, like velvet; velvety.
3. Peaceful; carried out without violence; especially as pertaining to the peaceful breakup of Czechoslovakia.

Synonyms

velvety

velour

velvet-textured

plush

velveteen

velure

black velvet

Blue Velvet

plushette

dulcet

panne velvet

mellifluous

shag

sweet

taffeta

Translations

velours

velluto

terciopelo

Samt

veludo

fluweel

βελούδο

kadife

vellut

velours

fluwelen

Sammet

βελουδένια υφή

βελούδινος

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈvɛlvɪt/

Etymology

Cognate with French: velours

In summary

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.