velvet

• POS: Noun
• HYPHEN: vel=vet

CIDE DICTIONARY

velvet, n. [OE. velouette, veluet, velwet; cf. OF. velluau, LL. velluetum, vellutum, It. velluto, Sp. velludo; all fr. (assumed) LL. villutus shaggy, fr L. villus shaggy hair; akin to vellus a fleece, and E. wool. See Wool, and cf. Villous.].

•  A silk fabric, having a short, close nap of erect threads. Inferior qualities are made with a silk pile on a cotton or linen back, or with other soft fibers such as nylon, acetate, or rayon.  [1913 Webster]
•  The soft and highly vascular deciduous skin which envelops and nourishes the antlers of deer during their rapid growth.  [1913 Webster]
•  Something likened to velvet{1} in being soft or luxurious; as, a lawn of velvet.  [PJC]

Cotton velvet, an imitation of velvet, made of cotton. -- Velvet cork, the best kind of cork bark, supple, elastic, and not woody or porous. -- Velvet crab (Zoöl.), a European crab (Portunus puber). When adult the black carapace is covered with a velvety pile. Called also lady crab, and velvet fiddler. -- Velvet dock (Bot.), the common mullein. -- Velvet duck. (Zoöl.) (a) A large European sea duck, or scoter (Oidemia fusca). The adult male is glossy, velvety black, with a white speculum on each wing, and a white patch behind each eye. (b) The American whitewinged scoter. See Scoter. -- Velvet flower (Bot.), love-lies-bleeding. See under Love. -- Velvet grass (Bot.), a tall grass (Holcus lanatus) with velvety stem and leaves; -- called also soft grass. -- Velvet runner (Zoöl.), the water rail; -- so called from its quiet, stealthy manner of running. [Prov. Eng.] -- Velvet scoter. (Zoöl.) Same as Velvet duck, above. -- Velvet sponge. (Zoöl.) See under Sponge. -- in velvet having a coating of velvet{2} over the antlers; in the annual stage where the antlers are still growing; -- of deer.

velvet, a. 

 Made of velvet; soft and delicate, like velvet; velvety.  Milton.  [1913 Webster]

velvet, v. i. 

 To pain velvet.  Peacham.  [1913 Webster]

velvet, v. t. 

 To make like, or cover with, velvet.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

velvet, n. & adj.
--n.
1 a closely woven fabric of silk, cotton, etc., with a thick short pile on one side.
2 the furry skin on a deer's growing antler.
3 anything smooth and soft like velvet.
--adj. of, like, or soft as velvet.

Idiom

on velvet in an advantageous or prosperous position. velvet glove outward gentleness, esp. cloaking firmness or strength (cf. iron hand).

Derivative

velveted adj. velvety adj.

Etymology

ME f. OF veluotte f. velu velvety f. med.L villutus f. L villus tuft, down

THESAURUS

velvet

Easy Street, affluence, alabaster, bed of roses, billiard table, blubber, bowling alley, bowling green, breeze, butter, cinch, clay, clover, comfort, contentment, cushion, daintiness, delicacy, dough, down, downiness, ease, easy circumstances, easy target, easy thing, eiderdown, feather bed, feathers, felicity, filminess, fine-grainedness, fineness, flat, fleece, fleshpots, floss, flue, fluff, fluffiness, foam, fuzz, fuzziness, glass, gossameriness, gracious life, gracious living, happiness, ice, ivory, kapok, lap of luxury, level, life of ease, loaves and fishes, luxury, mahogany, marble, peach fuzz, picnic, pie, piece of cake, pillow, plane, plush, prosperity, prosperousness, pubescence, pudding, puff, pushover, putty, refinement, rubber, satin, satininess, security, setup, silk, silkiness, sinecure, sitting duck, slide, smooth, smoothness, snap, softness, solid comfort, success, swansdown, tennis court, the affluent life, the good life, thistledown, thriving condition, upward mobility, velvetiness, wax, weal, wealth, welfare, well-being, wool, zephyr

ROGET THESAURUS

velvet

Smoothness

N smoothness, polish, gloss, lubricity, lubrication, down, velvet, velure, silk, satin, velveteen, velour, velours, velumen, glass, ice, slide, bowling green, asphalt, wood pavement, flagstone, flags, roller, steam roller, lawn roller, rolling pin, rolling mill, sand paper, emery paper, emery cloth, sander, flat iron, sad iron, burnisher, turpentine and beeswax, polish, shoe polish, lapidary, lapidary, lapidarian, smooth, polished, leiodermatous, slick, velutinous, even, level, plane, sleek, glossy, silken, silky, lanate, downy, velvety, glabrous, slippery, glassy, lubricous, oily, soft, unwrinkled, smooth as glass, smooth as ice, smooth as monumental alabaster, smooth as velvet, smooth as oil, slippery as an eel, woolly, smooth as silk, slippery as coonshit on a pump handle, slippery as a greased pig.

Roughness

N roughness, tooth, grain, texture, ripple, asperity, rugosity, salebrosity, corrugation, nodosity, arborescence, pilosity, brush, hair, beard, shag, mane, whisker, moustache, imperial, tress, lock, curl, ringlet, fimbriae, pili, cilia, villi, lovelock, beaucatcher, curl paper, goatee, papillote, scalp lock, plumage, plumosity, plume, panache, crest, feather, tuft, fringe, toupee, wool, velvet, plush, nap, pile, floss, fur, down, byssus, moss, bur, fluff, knot (convolution), rough, uneven, scabrous, scaly, knotted, rugged, rugose, rugous, knurly, asperous, crisp, salebrous, gnarled, unpolished, unsmooth, roughhewn, craggy, cragged, crankling, scraggy, prickly, arborescent, leafy, well-wooded, feathery, plumose, plumigerous, laciniate, laciniform, laciniose, pappose, pileous, pilose, trichogenous, trichoid, tufted, fimbriated, hairy, ciliated, filamentous, hirsute, crinose, crinite, bushy, hispid, villous, pappous, bearded, pilous, shaggy, shagged, fringed, befringed, setous, setose, setaceous, like quills upon the fretful porcupine, rough as a nutmeg grater, rough as a bear, downy, velvety, flocculent, woolly, lanate, lanated, lanuginous, lanuginose, tomentose, fluffy, against the grain, cabello luengo y corto el seso.

Physical Pleasure

N physical pleasure, pleasure, physical pleasure, sensual pleasure, sensuous pleasure, bodily enjoyment, animal gratification, hedonism, sensuality, luxuriousness, dissipation, round of pleasure, titillation, gusto, creature comforts, comfort, ease, pillow, luxury, lap of luxury, purple and fine linen, bed of downs, bed of roses, velvet, clover, cup of Circe, treat, refreshment, regale, feast, delice, dainty, bonne bouche, source of pleasure, happiness, enjoying, luxurious, voluptuous, sensual, comfortable, cosy, snug, in comfort, at ease, pleasant, agreeable, in comfort, on a bed of roses, at one's ease, ride si sapis, voluptales commendat rarior usus.