Word of the Day: May 22, 2009 - velvet

velvet (vel-vit) - noun

Velvet is "a soft fabric, such as silk, rayon, or nylon, having a smooth, dense pile and a plain underside."

First used in the written form between 1275–1325. Etymologically, velvet is a "hairy" or "downy" fabric. Its ultimate ancestor is the Latin word villus, meaning "hair" or "down," which also produced the English word velours. From it was derived the medieval Latin word villutus, meaning "shaggy;" which passed into Old French as velu, meaning "velvety." This in turn formed the basis of a noun veluotte, from which English got the word velvet. The derivative velveteen dates from the 18th century.