VELVETEEN

in textiles, fabric with a short, dense pile surface and a smooth back, usually made of cotton and resembling velvet. It is made by the filling-pile method, in which the plain or twill weave is used as a base and extra fillings are floated over four or five warps. After weaving, the floats are cut, and their ends are brushed up to form a smooth pile about one-eighth inch long. The fabric back is smooth and shows the basic weave. Velveteen has more body and is less easily draped than velvet. It imparts warmth and is used for women's and children's garments and also for draperies and bedspreads.