Definition

Noun: 1. A large tapestry or wall hanging: A heavy, handwoven textile, often with intricate pictorial designs, historically used to decorate walls, especially in castles and grand houses. It can also refer to a curtain or screen made of such fabric.

Usage

• The primary use is as a countable noun to describe a specific type of decorative fabric wall covering.
• It is often used in historical or literary contexts to evoke a sense of medieval or Renaissance grandeur, secrecy, or concealment.

Examples

• The castle's great hall was adorned with a magnificent arras depicting a hunting scene.
• In Shakespeare's , Polonius hides behind an arras to eavesdrop.
• They purchased an antique arras from a French château to hang in their library.

Advanced Usage

• Behind the arras: This phrase, popularized by Shakespeare, means to be hidden or concealed, often for the purpose of spying or eavesdropping. It has become an idiom for secret observation.
  • The king's advisor listened to the plot from behind the arras.

Variants and Related Words

• Tapestry (n): A closely related term; a piece of thick textile fabric with pictures or designs formed by weaving colored weft threads. While similar, "tapestry" is a more general term, whereas "arras" often implies a specific, large wall hanging and carries a stronger historical connotation.
• Hanging (n): A general term for a piece of fabric or other material used as a wall decoration.

Synonyms

• Tapestry
• Wall hanging
• Dossal (a specific type of tapestry hung behind an altar)

Notes on Meaning

• The word originates from Arras, a town in northern France famous in the Middle Ages for producing high-quality tapestries. Thus, the word can sometimes refer specifically to tapestries made in that region, though its general use is broader.
• In modern usage, it is a somewhat archaic or specialized term, most commonly encountered in historical descriptions or classic literature.

Noun

1. a wall hanging of heavy handwoven fabric with pictorial designs