What does borrel mean?
Borrel is a rare and largely archaic English word with two intertwined medieval senses: it named a coarse, often undyed woolen cloth associated with commoners, and by extension it described an unlettered layperson as opposed to a clerk or member of the clergy. Spelled more frequently "borel" in Middle English texts, it appears in writers such as Chaucer, whose phrase "borel folk" captures the divide between learned clergy and ordinary people. The word has effectively dropped out of modern English, though it endures vividly in Dutch, where a borrel is a small alcoholic drink or the easygoing social occasion built around one. For readers today, encountering borrel is chiefly a window into medieval social texture — the cloth on a peasant's back and the person wearing it — rather than a word they will use in conversation. Its survival in Dutch gives it a curious second life worth knowing about.
nounAn obsolete English word denoting coarse woolen cloth, especially undyed russet fabric, and by extension an unlettered or lay person as distinguished from the clergy. In modern Dutch, "borrel" refers to a small alcoholic drink or the informal social gathering at which one is served.
- Coarse, undyed woolen cloth, especially russet, formerly worn by ordinary people (archaic).
- An unlettered or lay person, as opposed to a member of the clergy (archaic).
- A small alcoholic drink or an informal drinks gathering (chiefly Dutch, still in active use).
"In Chaucer's day, the borel cloth worn by commoners stood in plain contrast to the silk-clad nobility."
"Medieval sumptuary records show that borel was the fabric of farmers and tradesmen, not of princes."
"After the meeting, the team adjourned to the pub for a convivial borrel."
The plural is rare because the word itself is archaic; in Dutch, "borrels" commonly refers to rounds of drinks or bottles brought to a gathering.
"Everyone contributed a few borrels to the farewell party."
In the Netherlands, inviting someone over for a "borrel" doesn't mean discussing bacteria or medieval fabric — it means pouring them a friendly drink.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of borrel
Borrel entered English from Old French "borel" or "burel," a term for coarse brown or russet woolen cloth, itself ultimately connected with medieval Latin terms for rough wool such as "bura" or "burra." Because this plain fabric was what ordinary, uneducated people wore, the word developed a transferred sense meaning a layman or unlettered person, which is how it appears in Middle English literature. The same cloth-root lies behind "bureau," which originally referred to the coarse cloth used to cover writing desks before naming the desk and then the office itself. Independently, modern Dutch "borrel," meaning a small drink, derives from the verb "borrelen" (to bubble), a separate development from the English noun.
How borrel is actually used
As an English word, "borrel" (more often spelled "borel") survives only in historical and literary contexts, such as readings of Chaucer, where "borel folk" denotes ordinary laypeople. The living usage belongs to Dutch, where "borrel" and its diminutive "borreltje" are everyday words for a casual drink with friends.
Easily confused with borrel
"Sorrel" is a reddish-brown color, a herb, or a horse of that coloring, whereas "borrel" is an archaic term for coarse woolen cloth or an unlettered person.
"Borrelia" is the genus of spiral bacteria that includes the causative agent of Lyme disease, unrelated in meaning to the archaic cloth-and-layperson word "borrel," though the two look similar in print.