Brocade, << broh KAYD, >> is a cloth that has raised designs woven into it with heavy yarns. The cloth may be cotton, linen, silk, or wool. It may also be rayon, or other synthetic fibers. The side of the cloth meant to be seen shows the brocade pattern of colored yarn or tinsel.
Brocade designs are woven by hand or by machine into cloth to make fabrics for bedspreads, draperies, furniture coverings, and dresses. Upholstery cloth with brocade designs woven into it is called brocatelle.
People in eastern Asia first made brocade. It became a favorite material for the clothing of European royalty and nobility in the 1200’s. In the 1800’s, a French weaver invented the Jacquard loom for weaving brocade. The word brocade comes from the French brocher, meaning a form of stitching.
