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worsted

 [woos-tid, wur-stid]   Origin

wor·sted

   [woos-tid, wur-stid]
noun
1.
firmly twisted yarn or thread spun from combed, stapled wool fibers of the same length, for weaving, knitting, etc. Compare woolen.
2.
wool cloth woven from such yarns, having a hard, smooth surface and no nap.
adjective
3.
consisting or made of worsted.

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Worsted is always a great word to know.
So is flibbertigibbet. Does it mean:
a chattering or flighty, light-headed person.
a scrap or morsel of food left at a meal.
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Origin:
1250–1300; Middle English worsted(e), special use of Worstede Worstead (Old English Wurthestede), name of parish in Norfolk, England, where the cloth was made

Related forms
half-worst·ed, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged

worst

   [wurst]
adjective, superl. of bad and ill.
1.
bad or ill in the highest, greatest, or most extreme degree: the worst person.
2.
most faulty, unsatisfactory, or objectionable: the worst paper submitted.
3.
most unfavorable or injurious.
4.
in the poorest condition: the worst house on the block.
5.
most unpleasant, unattractive, or disagreeable: the worst personality I've ever known.
EXPAND
6.
most lacking in skill; least skilled: the worst typist in the group.
COLLAPSE
noun
7.
that which is worst.
adverb
8.
in the most evil, wicked, severe, or disadvantageous manner.
9.
with the most severity, intensity, etc.; in the greatest degree.
verb (used with object)
10.
to defeat; beat: He worsted him easily.
Idioms
11.
at worst, if the worst happens; under the worst conditions: He will be expelled from school, at worst. Also, at the worst.
12.
get the worst of something, to be defeated by; lose: to get the worst of a fight.
13.
if worst comes to worst, if the very worst happens: If worst comes to worst, we still have some money in reserve.
14.
in the worst way, Informal. in an extreme degree; very much: She wanted a new robe for Christmas in the worst way. Also, the worst way.
Origin:
before 900; Middle English worste (adj., adv., and noun), Old English wur(re)sta, wyr(re)st, wer(re)sta (adj. and adv.); cognate with Old Norse verstr; see worse, -est1

Can be confused: worst, wurst.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
Cite This Source Link To worsted
Collins
World English Dictionary
worsted (ˈwʊstɪd)
 
—n
1.  a closely twisted yarn or thread made from combed long-staple wool
2.  a fabric made from this, with a hard smooth close-textured surface and no nap
3.  (modifier) made of this yarn or fabric: a worsted suit
 
[C13: named after Worstead, a district in Norfolk]

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

worst
O.E. wyrresta, from P.Gmc. *wers-ista- (cf. O.S. wirsista, O.N. verstr, O.Fris. wersta, O.H.G. wirsisto), superlative of PIE *wers- "to confuse, mix up" (see worse). The verb meaning "damage, inflict loss upon" is first recorded c.1600, from the adj. Phrase in the worst way
EXPAND
(1839) is from Amer.Eng. sense of "most severely."

worsted
woolen fabric made from twisted yarn, 1296, from Worstead (O.E. Wurðestede), town in Norfolk where the cloth originally was made.
COLLAPSE
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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