cloque: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1/C2 (Advanced/Low-Frequency)Formal, Technical, Specialized (Fashion/Textiles)
Quick answer
What does “cloque” mean?
A fabric with a raised, blistered, or quilted pattern, typically created during weaving or by chemical treatment.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A fabric with a raised, blistered, or quilted pattern, typically created during weaving or by chemical treatment.
A specific, often intricate, three-dimensional surface texture on textiles; by extension, can describe any surface with a similar blistered, puckered effect.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The term is used identically in both variants as a technical borrowing from French. No significant spelling or usage difference.
Connotations
Connotes luxury, high fashion, and intricate craftsmanship in both contexts.
Frequency
Equally rare and specialized in both varieties, confined to fashion, interior design, and textile industries.
Grammar
How to Use “cloque” in a Sentence
[fabric/material] made of/in cloque[garment] in a cloque [fabric]the [pattern/texture] of the cloqueVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “cloque” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The fabric is cloque-woven to create its signature texture.
American English
- The technique cloques the silk, giving it a dimensional feel.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Used in the fashion and textile industries to specify fabric types for manufacturing or purchasing.
Academic
Appears in papers on textile history, fabric technology, or fashion design.
Everyday
Virtually never used in everyday conversation.
Technical
The primary context, referring to specific weaving or finishing processes that create a three-dimensional surface.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “cloque”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “cloque”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “cloque”
- Mispronouncing it as /klɒk/ or /kloʊk/ (like 'clock').
- Using it as a general adjective (e.g., 'a cloque wall' is odd).
- Confusing it with 'brocade' or 'jacquard', which are different types of patterned weave.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is a low-frequency, specialized term used almost exclusively in fashion, textile design, and interior furnishings.
In British English: /ˈkləʊkeɪ/. In American English: /kloʊˈkeɪ/. It is a French loanword, so the final 'que' is pronounced /keɪ/.
Both are textured fabrics. Cloque often refers to a fabric where the blistering effect is created chemically or by different shrinkage rates of threads. Matelassé traditionally refers to a quilted or padded effect achieved through a specific weaving process, though the terms are sometimes used interchangeably in contemporary fashion.
Extremely rarely. In core usage, it is a noun. The process might be described as 'creating a cloque effect' or 'weaving in the cloque style'. A verb form would be highly technical jargon.
A fabric with a raised, blistered, or quilted pattern, typically created during weaving or by chemical treatment.
Cloque is usually formal, technical, specialized (fashion/textiles) in register.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “None. This is a technical term with no idiomatic usage.”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a CLOck with a bubbly, QUilted face - CLO-QUE sounds like 'clock' with a 'queue' of bubbles.
Conceptual Metaphor
FABRIC IS A LANDSCAPE (with hills and valleys).
Practice
Quiz
In which field is the term 'cloque' primarily used?