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corduroy: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples

B1
UK/ˈkɔː.də.rɔɪ/US/ˈkɔːr.də.rɔɪ/

Neutral, leaning informal in fashion/garment contexts.

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Quick answer

What does “corduroy” mean?

A durable cotton fabric with vertical ridges (cords or wales).

Audio

Pronunciation

Definition

Meaning and Definition

A durable cotton fabric with vertical ridges (cords or wales).

Can refer to trousers or other clothing made from this fabric. By extension, can refer to a road made of logs laid crosswise (a corduroy road).

Dialectal Variation

British vs American Usage

Differences

No significant difference in meaning. The term for the garment 'corduroy trousers' (UK) vs. 'corduroy pants' (US).

Connotations

Both share associations with durability, casual/retro style, and sometimes academia (professorial).

Frequency

Equally common in both dialects, with similar frequency trends (periodic fashion revivals).

Grammar

How to Use “corduroy” in a Sentence

[made] of corduroy[dressed] in corduroycorduroy [with] a fine wale

Vocabulary

Collocations

strong
wide-wale corduroycorduroy trousers/pantscorduroy jacketbrown corduroysoft corduroy
medium
a piece of corduroycorduroy fabriccorduroy skirtworn corduroyvelvet corduroy
weak
corduroy and denimcorduroy in autumnheavy corduroystriped corduroy

Examples

Examples of “corduroy” in a Sentence

verb

British English

  • They had to corduroy the boggy path with felled timber.

American English

  • The engineers corduroyed the road through the swamp.

adjective

British English

  • She wore a lovely corduroy pinafore.

American English

  • He prefers the feel of corduroy upholstery.

Usage

Meaning in Context

Business

Used in fashion retail/wholesale (e.g., 'Our autumn line features premium corduroy.')

Academic

Rare, except in historical/material culture studies (e.g., 'The social semiotics of corduroy in 1970s fashion.')

Everyday

Common when discussing clothing, fabrics, or shopping (e.g., 'I need a new pair of corduroys for winter.')

Technical

In textile manufacturing, specifying wale count and cotton blend.

Vocabulary

Synonyms of “corduroy”

Strong

cord (as a shortened form)ribbed velvet

Neutral

cordridged fabricribbed cotton

Weak

heavy cottontextured fabric

Vocabulary

Antonyms of “corduroy”

smooth fabricsatinsilkplain weave cotton

Watch out

Common Mistakes When Using “corduroy”

  • Incorrect spelling: 'corderoy', 'cordury'.
  • Using as a mass noun for garments: 'I bought a corduroy' (incorrect; should be 'a corduroy jacket' or 'a pair of corduroys').

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

No. As a fabric, it's uncountable ('made of corduroy'). When referring to trousers, it's often plural ('corduroys').

The 'wale' is the width of the raised cord/ridge. A higher wale count means finer, narrower ridges.

Yes, but rarely. It means to build a road with logs laid crosswise, a method used in marshy areas.

Primarily casual or smart-casual. Its textured, cotton-based nature makes it unsuitable for very formal occasions.

A durable cotton fabric with vertical ridges (cords or wales).

Corduroy: in British English it is pronounced /ˈkɔː.də.rɔɪ/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈkɔːr.də.rɔɪ/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.

Phrases

Idioms & Phrases

  • “Corduroy road (a makeshift road of logs)”

Learning

Memory Aids

Mnemonic

CORduroy has CORds or ridges; think of the 'cord' in the word.

Conceptual Metaphor

TEXTURE IS IDENTITY (e.g., 'His corduroy persona' suggesting a certain rustic, intellectual character).

Practice

Quiz

Fill in the gap
For the hike, he chose durable trousers and a thick jumper.
Multiple Choice

What is a 'corduroy road' typically made from?

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