# fabric

/ˈfæbɹɪk/ (US) · /fˈæbɹɪk/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/fabric
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. cloth or material

noun · CEFR B1

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

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

- The dress was made from a soft, expensive fabric that felt like silk.
- The designer selected a durable synthetic fabric for the upholstery to ensure it could withstand heavy use in a commercial setting.

### 2. social/structural framework

noun · CEFR B2

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

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

- Drug abuse can damage the social fabric of a small community.
- The revolution fundamentally altered the social fabric of the nation, dismantling centuries-old hierarchies within a single decade.

### 3. building structure

noun · CEFR C1 · Formal · Technical

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

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

- The charity raised money to repair the fabric of the old church.
- The survey revealed that while the interior was modernised, the original Victorian fabric of the warehouse remained largely intact.

### 4. computing network

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical

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

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

- The data centre uses a high-speed switching fabric to move information quickly.
- The architect designed a unified fabric to manage storage and compute resources across the entire enterprise cloud environment.

### 5. archaeology/pottery

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical

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

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

- The archaeologist identified the pot's origin by looking at the fabric of the clay.
- Petrographic analysis of the ceramic fabric suggested that the vessels were manufactured locally rather than imported from the coast.

### 6. to cover with cloth

verb · CEFR C2 · Technical

to cover a surface with fabric.

For teachers: to apply a textile covering to a surface or structure.

- The wings of the early aircraft were fabricked with treated linen.
- The restoration team carefully fabricked the interior panels of the vintage car using period-accurate woollen cloth.

## Examples

- This soft fabric is perfect for making a summer dress.
- The designer chose a heavy wool fabric to ensure the winter coats would be both warm and durable.
- The sudden economic crisis threatened to tear the social fabric of the small community, which had relied on the local factory for generations.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.