- a closely twisted yarn or thread made from combed long-staple wool
- a fabric made from this, with a hard smooth close-textured surface and no nap
- (modifier) made of this yarn or fabric: a worsted suit
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
wor•sted /ˈwʊstɪd, ˈwɜrstɪd/USA pronunciation
n. [uncountable]
adj. [before a noun]
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- Textileswool cloth woven from twisted wool yarn or thread.
adj. [before a noun]
- Textilesmade up of worsted.
wor•sted
(wŏŏs′tid, wûr′stid),USA pronunciation n.
adj.
- Textilesfirmly twisted yarn or thread spun from combed, stapled wool fibers of the same length, for weaving, knitting, etc. Cf. woolen.
- Textileswool cloth woven from such yarns, having a hard, smooth surface and no nap.
adj.
- Textilesconsisting or made of worsted.
- Middle English worsted(e), special use of Worstede Worstead (Old English Wurthestede), name of parish in Norfolk, England, where the cloth was made 1250–1300
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
worsted /ˈwʊstɪd/ n
'worsted' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
bluestocking
- bombazine
- Bradford
- broadcloth
- Brussels carpet
- chenille
- covert cloth
- crewel
- gabardine
- hank
- prunella
- serge
- whipcord
- albatross
- barege
- Bedford cord
- Bradford spinning
- bunting
- carding
- cassimere
- cavalry twill
- combed yarn
- delaine
- estamin
- etamine
- faller
- galloon
- genappe
- genappe yarn
- gilling
- hairline
- half-worsted
- henrietta
- Inverness
- Janus cloth
- jasey
- mousseline de laine
- noil
- nun's veiling
- tamis
- tartan
- tricot
- unfinished
- Venetian
- vigoureux printing
- woolen
- worset
- worst
- zephyr cloth
- zephyr worsted