orphrey

or·phrey

[awr-free]
noun, plural or·phreys.
1.
an ornamental band or border, especially on an ecclesiastical vestment.
2.
gold embroidery.
3.
rich embroidery of any sort.
4.
a piece of richly embroidered material.
Also, orfray.


Origin:
1300–50; Middle English orfreis (later construed as plural) < Old French < Medieval Latin aurifrisium, variant of aurifrigium, for Latin phrase aurum Phrygium gold embroidery, literally, Phrygian gold

or·phreyed, adjective
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00:10
Orphrey is always a great word to know.
So is bezoar. Does it mean:
a calculus or concretion found in the stomach or intestines of certain animals, esp. ruminants, formerly reputed to be an effective remedy for poison.
an extraordinary or unusual thing, person, or event; an exceptional example or instance.
Collins
World English Dictionary
orphrey or (less commonly) orfray (ˈɔːfrɪ) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
n
a richly embroidered band or border, esp on an ecclesiastical vestment
 
[C13 orfreis, from Old French, from Late Latin aurifrisium, auriphrygium, from Latin aurum gold + Phrygius Phrygian]
 
orfray or (less commonly) orfray
 
n
 
[C13 orfreis, from Old French, from Late Latin aurifrisium, auriphrygium, from Latin aurum gold + Phrygius Phrygian]

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
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Encyclopedia Britannica
Encyclopedia

orphrey

highly elaborate embroidery work, or a piece of such embroidery. More specifically orphrey is an ornamental border, or embroidered band, especially as used on ecclesiastical vestments. Orphreys often utilized cloth of gold, gold trimming, or gold and silk weft, or filling. They were frequently woven several bands wide and then cut apart.

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Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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