Velvet

(věl'vět.) [From L. villosus, flocculent. ] (Manuf.) A fabric in which, besides the ordinary warp and weft, which are usually arranged as in twill-weaving, there is also a supplementary weft, consisting of short pieces of silk, cotton, or woollen thread doubled under the regular weft, and brought to the surface in loops which are so close together as to conceal the regular web. The loops are afterwards cut evenly, and the ends thus made constitute a covering resembling a very short fur. When the material is silk, it is called velvet; when cotton, velveteen. [s. 932]