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orphrey

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or⋅phrey

  [awr-free]
Use orphrey in a Sentence
–noun, plural -phreys.
1. an ornamental band or border, esp. 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; ME orfreis (later construed as pl.) < OF < ML aurifrisium, var. of aurifrigium, for L phrase aurum Phrygium gold embroidery, lit., Phrygian gold

Related forms:
orphreyed, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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Clergy Copes from Almy
Dignified Processional Vestment In stock for Quick Shipment
www.almy.com
or·phrey   (ôr'frē)   
n.   pl. or·phreys also or·frays

  1. A band of elaborate embroidery decorating the front of certain ecclesiastical vestments.

  2. Elaborate embroidery, especially when made of gold.


[Middle English orfrey, alteration of orfreis, from Old French, from Medieval Latin aurifrigium : Latin aurum, gold + Latin Phrygius, Phrygian.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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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.

Learn more about orphrey with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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