arras

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“
The black-faced visor having seated himself, the arras was again let down; when several men, bedizened with ribands and nosegays, wheeled off the vehicle to its destination on the green The bower was garnished with roses, gilliflowers, pinks, and odoriferous herbs.

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Definitions (8)

Toggle American Heritage definitions American Heritage Dictionary (2)

  1. noun A wall hanging; a tapestry.
  2. noun A curtain or wall hanging, especially one of Flemish origin.

Toggle Century definitions Century Dictionary (3)

Toggle GNU Webster definitions GNU Webster's 1913 (2)

Toggle WordNet definitions WordNet (1)

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Examples (50)

  • She called for a sword to lie constantly beside her and thrust it from time to time through the arras, as if she heard murderers stirring there. —  History of the English People, Volume V (of 8) Puritan England, 1603-1660
  • But, quickly recovering, she stood up, resolved to meet her fate with proud dignity In a few moments the door opened and the arras was pushed aside, and the groom of the chambers announced with a shout The Knight of the Mound, victorious in the joust, craves leave to greet our lady the countess The lady bowed assent, trembling in every limb. —  King Arthur's Knights The Tales Re-told for Boys ; Girls
  • The priest pulled aside the arras, and all three entered. —  The Short-story
  • The conversation behind the arras, at first low and murmuring, was becoming animated. —  The Statesmen Snowbound
  • What with the gloomy arras, the shrouded bedstead, and the Gothic wardrobe with its mysterious figures, the chamber had a grim, ghostly air, and so the young girl thought on entering it I have brought you hither, Alizon," said Mistress Nutter, motioning her to a seat, "that we may converse without chance of interruption, for I have much to say. —  The Lancashire Witches A Romance of Pendle Forest
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Etymologies (4)

Toggle American Heritage etymologies American Heritage Dictionary (1)

  1. Middle English, after Arras .

Toggle Century etymologies Century Dictionary (3)

  1. Early modern English also arrace, arrasse, from Middle English arras, orig. cloth (or cloths) of Arras (French drapshd' Arras) (= Italian arazzo = Provencal raz), from French Arras, the capital of the department of Pasde-Calais, in the north of France, where this article was manufactured. The name Arras is corrupted from the name of the Atrebates (L.), a people of Belgic Gaul.
  2. Prob. a form of orris, q. v.
  3. Spanish, < L. arrha: see arrha.
 

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/ˈɑrɑs/
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