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fabric

n. · v.
US //ˈfæbɹɪk// UK //fˈæbɹɪk// fab·ric
  1. 1 cloth or material (n.)
    B1 Intermediate

    cloth or material used for making clothes, curtains, or furniture covers.

    a material produced by weaving, knitting, or felting fibres; textile.

    Example

    The dress was made from a soft, expensive fabric that felt like silk.

    Example

    The designer selected a durable synthetic fabric for the upholstery to ensure it could withstand heavy use in a commercial setting.
  2. 2 social/structural framework (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    the basic structure of a society, system, or organization.

    the essential structure or framework of a society, culture, or complex system.

    Example

    Drug abuse can damage the social fabric of a small community.

    Example

    The revolution fundamentally altered the social fabric of the nation, dismantling centuries-old hierarchies within a single decade.
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  1. 3 building structure (n.)
    C1 Advanced Formal Technical

    the physical parts of a building, such as the walls and roof.

    the physical substance and structural components of a building or edifice.

    Example

    The charity raised money to repair the fabric of the old church.

    Example

    The survey revealed that while the interior was modernised, the original Victorian fabric of the warehouse remained largely intact.
  2. 4 computing network (n.)
    C2 Proficiency Technical Computing

    a network of connected parts that work together like a woven cloth.

    a high-performance network topology consisting of interconnected nodes and switches.

    Example

    The data centre uses a high-speed switching fabric to move information quickly.

    Example

    The architect designed a unified fabric to manage storage and compute resources across the entire enterprise cloud environment.
  3. 5 archaeology/pottery (n.)
    C2 Proficiency Technical Science

    the type of clay or material used to make an old pot.

    the physical composition and texture of a ceramic or lithic artifact.

    Example

    The archaeologist identified the pot's origin by looking at the fabric of the clay.

    Example

    Petrographic analysis of the ceramic fabric suggested that the vessels were manufactured locally rather than imported from the coast.
  4. 6 to cover with cloth (v.)
    C2 Proficiency Technical

    to cover a surface with fabric.

    to apply a textile covering to a surface or structure.

    Example

    The wings of the early aircraft were fabricked with treated linen.

    Example

    The restoration team carefully fabricked the interior panels of the vintage car using period-accurate woollen cloth.
Origin

Borrowed from French fabrique, from Latin fabrica (“a workshop, art, trade, product of art, structure, fabric”), from faber (“artisan, workman”). Doublet of fabrica, borrowed from Latin, and forge, borrowed from Old French.

Idioms1 entry

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