velvet

1 of 2

noun

vel·​vet ˈvel-vət 

1

: a clothing and upholstery fabric (as of silk, rayon, or wool) characterized by a short soft dense warp pile

2

a

: something suggesting velvet

b

: a characteristic (such as softness or smoothness) of velvet

3

: the soft vascular skin that envelops and nourishes the developing antlers of deer

4

a

: the winnings of a player in a gambling game

b

: a profit or gain beyond ordinary expectation

velvetlike

ˈvel-vət-ˌlīk 

adjective

velvet

2 of 2

adjective

1

: made of or covered with velvet

also : clad in velvet

2

: resembling or suggesting velvet : velvety

a velvet voice

Examples of velvet in a Sentence

Noun

She was dressed in black velvet.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Milliner Maison Michel contributed an oversized Provençal straw hat studded with pearls; Lesage, a bust embroidered with beads and feathers; shoemaker Massaro, a shoe last wrapped in velvet ribbon, and jeweler Gossens, a pendant made of gilded brass leaves intertwined with slices of rock crystal. —Joelle Diderich, WWD, 20 June 2024

My suite had a comfortable four-poster bed, a sitting area with a plush velvet sofa and crystal chandelier, and a minibar cleverly hidden in a mirrored side table. —Laura Itzkowitz, Travel + Leisure, 18 June 2024

Adjective

At home in Tallahassee The house in Tallahassee is decked out with contemporary-style furniture — velvet gray sofas, pink candles and tall lamps that glow different colors. —Nada Hassanein, USA TODAY, 15 Mar. 2024

As promised, the pair did change for the party, with Dome opting for a slinky dress and sneakers and Lautner going with a velvet D&G suit. —Aili Nahas, Peoplemag, 17 Nov. 2022

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English veluet, velvet, borrowed from Anglo-French velvet, from velu "shaggy, soft, velvety" (going back to early Medieval Latin villūtus, from Latin villus "shaggy growth of hair, cloth nap" + Late Latin -ūtus, adjective suffix) + -et -et entry 1; Latin villus, perhaps dialectal variant of vellus "plucked wool, fleece" — more at wool

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing velvet

• velvet ant
• velvet bean

Kids Definition

velvet

noun

vel·​vet

ˈvel-vət

1

: a fabric with short soft raised fibers

2

: the soft skin covering the developing antler of a deer

velvet adjective