corduroy

1 of 2

noun

cor·​du·​roy ˈkȯr-də-ˌrȯi How to pronounce corduroy (audio)
plural corduroys
1
a
corduroys plural : trousers of corduroy fabric
b
: a durable usually cotton pile fabric with vertical ribs or wales
2
: logs laid side by side transversely to make a road surface

corduroy

2 of 2

verb

corduroyed; corduroying

transitive verb

: to build (a road) of logs laid side by side transversely
also : to build a corduroy road across

Examples of corduroy in a Sentence

Noun a jacket made of corduroy
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
This one features a snap front and the cozy texture of corduroy. Kelsey Glennon, Travel + Leisure, 6 Nov. 2024 The red corduroy jacket that Rita wears to the station like a suit of armor, and the love implicit in her father’s decision to ignore the fact that she’s been crying. David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 10 Oct. 2024
Verb
The trick is finding the right color: lean in to corduroy's '70s feeling with rich cognac, or play the part of the refined Italian guy with a dusty green. Megan Gustashaw, GQ, 9 Jan. 2018 See all Example Sentences for corduroy 

Word History

Etymology

Noun

of obscure origin

Note: In the 18th century a name for a kind of coarse, thick-ribbed cotton fabric. It has been hypothesized that the word is a compound of cord as the name for a fabric and duroy, a coarse woolen fabric, but cord in this sense does not appear to be earlier than corduroy. Advertisements in the 1774 numbers of the Boston Gazette and Country Journal have cord, corduroy, duroy, as well as cordesoy and cordusoy (perhaps by association with padusoy, variant of paduasoy) in lists of fabrics for sale. The notion that corduroy is from French corde du roi, "king's cord," is fanciful.

Verb

derivative of corduroy entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

circa 1791, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1854, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of corduroy was circa 1791

Dictionary Entries Near corduroy

Cite this Entry

“Corduroy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/corduroy. Accessed 27 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

corduroy

noun
cor·​du·​roy
ˈkȯrd-ə-ˌrȯi
plural corduroys
1
a
: a strong ribbed usually cotton cloth
b
plural : pants of corduroy
2
: a road built of logs laid side by side

More from Merriam-Webster on corduroy

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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