Tatting
noun, verb ·Rare ·Advanced level
Definitions
- 1 A form of looped and knotted lace needlework made from a single thread. countable, uncountable
"Best and largest collection of tatting work, not less than seven different articles, five dollars; best tatting collar, two dollars; […] best three tatting doylies, two dollars, Mrs. J. M. Junkin, Fairfield."
- 2 the act or art of making handmade lace wordnet
- 3 The art of making such lace. countable, uncountable
"While crocheting is the most popular feature in art needle work, tatting has now entered the field with such vigor that crocheting does not monopolize the situation."
- 4 needlework consisting of handmade lace made by looping and knotting a single thread on a small shuttle wordnet
- 1 present participle and gerund of tat form-of, gerund, participle, present
Example
More examples"Best and largest collection of tatting work, not less than seven different articles, five dollars; best tatting collar, two dollars; […] best three tatting doylies, two dollars, Mrs. J. M. Junkin, Fairfield."
Etymology
Unknown. The noun appears earlier than the verb. Attested since the mid-19th century.
Related phrases
More for "tatting"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.