orphrey

[awr-free] /ˈɔr fri/
noun, plural orphreys.
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
Related forms
orphreyed, adjective
British Dictionary definitions for orphrey

orphrey

/ˈɔːfrɪ/
noun
1.
a richly embroidered band or border, esp on an ecclesiastical vestment
Word Origin
C13 orfreis, from Old French, from Late Latin aurifrisium, auriphrygium, from Latin aurum gold + Phrygius Phrygian
Encyclopedia Article for orphrey

orfray

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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