French word

couture

Pronunciation

IPA/kutyʁ/

Meaning

  • feminine nounsewing

Example

Ma grand-mère m'a appris la couture.

My grandmother taught me how to sew.

Illustration for couture (sewing)

More examples

Je prends des cours de couture tous les mercredis.

I take sewing classes every Wednesday.

Core concept

The visible line where fabric pieces meet, and the sewing work that produces that line.

Common phrases

  • cours de couture

    sewing class

  • atelier de couture

    sewing workshop

  • travail de couture

    sewing work

Similar words

vêtement: Any cloth product designed to be worn on the body.
retouche: A small sewing alteration or repair to a garment.
atelier: A place where clothes and other fabric goods are made or repaired.
mode: The area of fashion concerned with clothing styles, design, and trends.

Definition in French

Activité de coudre des tissus à la main ou à la machine; le mot désigne aussi la ligne formée par les points qui assemblent deux pièces de tissu.

Word origin

Couture is an inherited French form of Old French cousture, ultimately related to Latin consuere, to sew together.

Usage tips

  • In haute couture, couture refers to high-fashion dressmaking, so the phrase has a more specialized meaning than ordinary couture.

Other meanings

  • seamnoun
  • tailoringnoun

Related words

Word lists with this word