embroidery

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. n. The act or art of embroidering.
2. n. Ornamentation of fabric with needlework.
3. n. A piece of embroidered fabric.
4. n. Embellishment with fanciful details.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. The art of working with the needle raised and ornamental designs in threads of silk, cotton, gold, silver, or other material, upon any woven fabric, leather, paper, etc. Embroidery has been used in all ages for the decoration of hangings and garments used for statues of divinities or in religious ceremonials; but its use in ordinary dress was especially developed during the middle ages in Europe, when garments entirely ornamented with the needle were worn by those who could afford them, and heraldry offered an opportunity for embroidery upon the surcoats and tabards of men-at-arms. The nations of Persia and the extreme East are the greatest masters of embroidery in modern times. The example most familiar to the West is the India shawl, for which see cashmere and chudder.
2. n. A design produced or worked according to this art.
3. n. Variegated or diversified ornamentation, especially by the contrasts of figures and colors; ornamental decoration.
4. n. In heraldry, a hill or mount with several copings or rises and falls.

Wiktionary

1. n. The ornamentation of fabric using needlework.
2. n. A piece of embroidered fabric.
3. n. The elaboration of an account etc. with details, especially when fictitious.

GNU Webster's 1913

1. n. Needlework used to enrich textile fabrics, leather, etc.; also, the art of embroidering.
2. n. Diversified ornaments, especially by contrasted figures and colors; variegated decoration.

WordNet 3.0

1. n. decorative needlework
2. n. elaboration of an interpretation by the use of decorative (sometimes fictitious) detail