What does velcro mean?
Velcro is the everyday name for a quick-release fastening system made from two complementary surfaces: one covered with tiny hooks and the other with flexible loops. Pressing the surfaces together joins them securely, while pulling them apart separates them again. The term is used both for an individual fastening device and, more broadly, for the fastening material itself. As a verb, velcro describes fastening or opening something with such a closure. Velcro is especially common in footwear, outdoor clothing, bags, protective equipment, and other products where adjustable or rapid fastening is useful. It may suggest convenience and practicality, though it can also evoke clothing or footwear that is easy to put on but may be less secure in demanding conditions. The generic name derives from the original trademark Velcro, whose mechanism was inspired by the hooks of burdock burrs clinging to animal fur.
A fastening device or material consisting of tiny hooks and loops that interlock when pressed together and separate when pulled apart.
"The pocket closes with a wide strip of velcro."
The term may refer to a single fastener or collectively to hook-and-loop fastening material.
To fasten or secure something using velcro, or to release a velcro fastening.
"He velcroed the cover neatly around the box."
This use is informal and commonly describes attaching one object to another or securing a flap or lid.
Velcro is often treated as a mass noun when referring to the material or fastening system; the plural velcros is used for separate fastenings or fasteners.
"He replaced the three velcros on the backpack."
Before it became a household fastener, Velcro took its cue from the tiny hooks of a burdock burr that clung to a dog’s fur.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of velcro
The hook-and-loop fastening system was developed by Swiss engineer George de Mestral after noticing that burdock burrs clung tenaciously to his clothing and his dog's fur. He subsequently patented the principle and developed it commercially under the name Velcro. The name combines French elements associated with velours, meaning velvet, and crochet, meaning hook. The process was subsequently described in greater detail through developments in synthetic materials and manufacturing.
Related word forms
How velcro is actually used
Velcro was originally a trademark and is capitalized when referring specifically to the branded product. Lowercase velcro is now the standard dictionary form for the generic hook-and-loop fastening device and is common in informal and technical writing alike.