What does "frieze" mean?
A kind of coarse woollen cloth or stuff with a shaggy or tufted (friezed) nap on one side.
Frieze
/ˈfɹiːz/ name, noun, verb
name, noun, verb ·Moderate ·College level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A kind of coarse woollen cloth or stuff with a shaggy or tufted (friezed) nap on one side.
- Grammar: frieze is listed as name, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: abacus, acanthus, annulet, apophyge.
- Useful contrasts: asymmetric layout, deface, disfigure.
- Usage evidence: At the top of the building there is a frieze of carved ribbons.
How to use "frieze"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "frieze" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "frieze" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "frieze" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "frieze" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "frieze" is acting as name, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "abacus" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "frieze", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A kind of coarse woollen cloth or stuff with a shaggy or tufted (friezed) nap on one side. countable, uncountable
"[I]f a plaine fellow well and cleanely apparelled, either in home-ſpun ruſſet or freeze (as the ſeaſon requires) with a five pouch at his girdle, happen to appeare in his ruſticall likenes: there is a Cozen ſaies one, At which word out flies the Taker, and thus giues the onſet vpon my olde Pennyfather."
- 2 That part of the entablature of an order which is between the architrave and cornice. It is a flat member or face, either uniform or broken by triglyphs, and often enriched with figures and other ornaments of sculpture.
- 3 a heavy woolen fabric with a long nap wordnet
- 4 Any sculptured or richly ornamented band in a building or in rich pieces of furniture. broadly
- 5 an architectural ornament consisting of a horizontal sculptured band between the architrave and the cornice wordnet
Show 1 more definition
- 6 A banner with a series of pictures.
"The classroom had an alphabet frieze that showed an animal for each letter."
Verb
- 1 To make a nap on (cloth); to frizz. transitive
- 2 To put a frieze on. transitive
Proper Noun
- 1 A surname.
Example
"At the top of the building there is a frieze of carved ribbons."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "frieze"?
Common synonyms include: abacus, acanthus, annulet, apophyge, architrave, astragal.
How do you use "frieze" in a sentence?
At the top of the building there is a frieze of carved ribbons.
How do you pronounce "frieze"?
Pronounced /ˈfɹiːz/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
Late Middle English, from French and Middle French frise, probably from Medieval Latin Frisia (“Frisian (wool)”) due to import via Northern ships. Or, from French friser (“to curl”)..
Etymology 2
From French and Middle French frise f, derived from an Upper Italian fris f, Medieval Latin frisum, frisium, frigium, frixum, frigium, of controversial origin, possibly from multiple sources, Arabic إِفْرِيز (ʔifrīz, “king beam, cornice”) and Latin opus Phrygium (“a kind of embroidery”, literally “work of Phrygia”), the demonym Frisian and terms related to the textile term above in a transferred sense.
Etymology 3
Probably a spelling variant of Fries and Frees.