embroider

English

Etymology

From Middle English embroudren, frequentative of embrouden, from Anglo-Norman embrouder, intensive of brosder, brouder (compare Norman broudaïr), from Gothic *𐌱𐍂𐌿𐌶𐌳𐍉𐌽 (*bruzdōn), blend of *bursta (“bristle”) and *brordōn (“to stitch”) (compare Old High German brortōn). More at bristle and brad.

Pronunciation

(General American) IPA^(key): /ɪmˈbɹɔɪdɚ/
(Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ɪmˈbɹɔɪdə/
Audio (US) (file)
Rhymes: -ɔɪdə(ɹ)
Hyphenation: em‧broi‧der

Verb

embroider (third-person singular simple present embroiders, present participle embroidering, simple past and past participle embroidered)

To stitch a decorative design on fabric with needle and thread of various colours.
(figuratively) To add imaginary detail to a narrative to make it more interesting or acceptable.

Derived terms

embroiderer
embroideress
embroidery
reembroider

Translations

to stitch a decorative design on fabric with needle and thread

Arabic:
Egyptian Arabic: زركش‎ (zarkaš)
Belarusian: гафтаваць impf (haftavacʹ), вы́гафтаваць pf (výhaftavacʹ)
Bulgarian: бродирам (brodiram)
Catalan: brodar (ca)
Chinese:
Mandarin: 刺繡／刺绣 (zh) (cìxiù)
Czech: vyšívat
Danish: brodere
Dutch: borduren (nl)
Esperanto: brodi (eo)
Finnish: koruommella (fi), kirjailla (fi), kirjoa (fi)
French: broder (fr)
Friulian: strapongi
Galician: bordar
German: sticken (de)
Greek: κεντάω (kentáo)
Hungarian: hímez (hu)
Icelandic: sauma út, bródera, baldýra
Ido: brodar (io)
Irish: bróidnigh, gréasaigh, spruigeáil
Italian: ricamare (it)
Japanese: 刺繍する (ja) (ししゅうする, shishū suru)
Latin: acū pingo
Latvian: izšūt
Ligurian: recamâ
Lithuanian: siuvinėti, išsiuvinėti
Maori: tāniko
Norman: broder (Jersey), broudaïr (Guernsey)
Norwegian: brodere (no)
Polish: haftować (pl) impf, wyhaftować (pl) pf
Portuguese: bordar (pt)
Russian: вышива́ть (ru) impf (vyšivátʹ), вы́шить (ru) pf (výšitʹ)
Slovene: vesti impf
Spanish: bordar (es)
Swedish: brodera (sv)
Turkish: nakış işlemek (tr)
Volapük: brodön (vo)
Westrobothnian: burder
Yiddish: העפֿטן‎ (heftn)

to add imaginary detail to a narrative

Bulgarian: разкрасявам (bg) (razkrasjavam)
Dutch: aandikken (nl)
Finnish: värittää (fi)
French: broder (fr)
German: ausschmücken (de)
Greek: κεντάω (kentáo)
Italian: ricamare (it), abbellire (it), indorare
Polish: koloryzować (pl) impf, podkolorowywać impf, podkolorować pf
Portuguese: florear (pt)
Russian: приукра́шивать (ru) impf (priukrášivatʹ), приукра́сить (ru) pf (priukrásitʹ)
Vietnamese: thêm mắm thêm muối

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

Chinese:
Mandarin: ^{(please verify)} 刺绣 (zh), ^{(please verify)} 刺繡／刺绣 (zh) (cìxiù) (sense 1: sew)