What does corduroy mean?
Corduroy is a sturdy cotton textile characterized by raised parallel ridges, known as wales, running along its surface. Woven with extra sets of yarn that form a cut pile, it is soft yet hard-wearing, which has long made it a favorite for trousers, jackets, and workwear. In its plural form, 'corduroys' commonly means trousers made of the fabric, and the word carries connotations of comfort, durability, and a slightly bookish or rustic style. A secondary, chiefly historical sense refers to a corduroy road — a track made by laying logs side by side across mud or marshland, once vital to pioneers and loggers. The word's origin is uncertain; the popular belief that it derives from the French corde du roi, 'the king's cord', is widely regarded by etymologists as a later invention. Versatile and evocative, corduroy remains a staple of both fashion vocabulary and everyday speech.
A thick ribbed cotton fabric with a cut pile forming parallel cords, used for clothing and upholstery.
"She bought a needle-cord skirt in deep green corduroy."
Rib width is measured in 'wales'; fine-wale varieties are sometimes called needlecord or pinwale.
A road made of logs laid side by side across soft ground.
"The wagon lurched along the corduroy through the black spruce swamp."
Chiefly historical and North American; often found in accounts of pioneer travel and logging.
To build (a road) by laying logs side by side across soft or muddy ground.
"The crew corduroyed the trail so the supply sledges could cross the muskeg."
Rare today, confined mainly to historical and forestry contexts.
The plural typically means trousers made of corduroy rather than multiple pieces of the fabric.
"On cool autumn mornings he reached for his old corduroys."
Despite the popular story, 'corduroy' almost certainly does NOT come from the French corde du roi — 'the king's cord' — a romantic myth lexicographers have largely debunked.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of corduroy
The word 'corduroy' first appears in English in the late 18th century, though the fabric itself was being woven earlier. Its origin is genuinely obscure: the oft-repeated derivation from French corde du roi ('cord of the king') is considered folk etymology by most etymologists, since no such French phrase is attested in that sense. A more plausible account treats it as a compound of 'cord', referring to the fabric's ribbed texture, plus an element of uncertain origin, possibly from an obsolete English coarse-cloth name such as 'duroy'. The noun gave rise to a verb meaning 'to build a log road', reflecting the timber sense.
Related word forms
How corduroy is actually used
In everyday use, 'corduroy' most often refers to the fabric or to trousers made from it, usually in the plural ('corduroys'). The width of the ribs is called the 'wale' — fine-wale corduroy has narrow ribs. The log-road sense is now chiefly historical or regional North American usage.
Easily confused with corduroy
Velvet has a smooth, unbroken pile surface, whereas corduroy is distinguished by its raised parallel ribs.