Word.ws English Dictionary

ajouré

ajouré noun: a technique for creating patterns of open areas in fabric by tying woven threads together.

ajouré: a technique for creating patterns of open areas in fabric by tying woven threads together
Image: Chatsam, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Noun

ajouré (uncountable)

  1. A technique for creating patterns of open areas in fabric by tying woven threads together.
    • Then work 6 rows point ajouré, 4 rows in Gyps'Anny of stocking stitch, 6 rows in ficelle point ajouré, and 4 rows stocking stitch in Gyps'Anny.1980, Scottish Field - Volume 126, page 41
    • There are silk/cotton blends with ajouré work, multicoloured deckchair stripes, and the highly coloured stripes known as bayadère work ( see Glossary ).2004, Textile Outlook International - Volumes 109-111, page 49
  2. A decorative technique in which patterns are created by piercing or perforating a surface (of metal, ivory, leather, marble, etc.)
    • The metalworkers used both inlay in silver and gold and ajouré (design produced by complete removal of metal to produce the desired pattern) (cat.88) in addition to the more common engraving (cat. 87).1966, Smithsonian Institution, Islamic Art from the Collection of Edwin Binney 3d
    • An inverted 'Tree'; ajouré-work with detail in low relief.1967, Max Edgar Lucien Mallowan, Georgina Herrmann, Ivories from Nimrud (1949-1963), page 37

Adjective

ajouré (comparative more ajouré, superlative most ajouré)

  1. Decorated using ajouré.
    • Thus, among numerous varieties, he may pick out at a glance the blued and ajouré steel hilts of the Restoration;1929, Bashford Dean, Catalogue of European Court Swords and Hunting Swords, page 5
    • Not far from it was another ivory, an open work or ajouré sphinx, and in the same belt of debris, to the front of the stele and along the east wall of the court, there were other fragments of broken up ivory plaques engraved with processional scenes, clearly ninth century in style.1952, Iraq - Volumes 14-15
  2. Depicted in the same color as the field in order to imply that one can see through the element to the field; voided of the field.

Examples of ajouré in a sentence

  • I recently used a lot of ajouré/lace techniques and printed on top of that.2014, Jenny Udale, Fashion Knitwear:
  • The ajouré technique, especially, was used for the white face veils (rubanda) worn in Qajar Iran because the openwork allowed the wearer to see.2021, Medill Higgins Harvey, Andrea Achi, Deniz Beyazit, Collecting Inspiration, page 200:
  • Phoenician workmanship used also specific techniques such as ajouré, cloisonné, and champlevé.2019, Hélène Sader, The History and Archaeology of Phoenicia, page 177:
  • Stitches include ajouré works, prints with botanical patterns, plain or close stiches with detailed shaping.1998, American Sportswear & Knitting Times - Volume 67, page 17:

Forms of ajouré

Noun
alternative formajoure
Adjective
comparativemore ajouré
superlativemost ajouré

Origin of ajouré

Borrowed from French ajouré (“perforated”).

Questions about ajouré

What does ajouré mean?
Ajouré means a technique for creating patterns of open areas in fabric by tying woven threads together.
How do you use ajouré in a sentence?
I recently used a lot of ajouré/lace techniques and printed on top of that.
What part of speech is ajouré?
Ajouré can be a noun or an adjective.

Words near ajouré in the dictionary

  1. ajouag
  2. ajouan
  3. ajoupa
  4. ajoupas
  5. ajoure
  6. ajouré
  7. ajouti
  8. ajoutis
  9. ajowain
  10. ajowains
  11. ajowan

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: ajouré (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

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Cite this entry: “ajouré.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/ajour%C3%A9. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.