haberdashery means ribbons, buttons, thread, needles and similar sewing goods sold in a haberdasher's shop. It carries an Arena rating of 1585, earned across 5 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, haberdashery ranks #427 of 17,126 for Most Satisfying to Say, #752 of 17,163 for Funniest Words, #2,401 of 17,127 for Words That Escaped Their Books, #3,014 of 17,132 for Most Betrayed by Its Sound.
Why “haberdashery” is a great word
A retail establishment selling small articles for sewing and garment-making—buttons, threads, needles, ribbons—or, in certain regional definitions, a shop specializing in men's clothing and accessories. The term, first attested in English in the early 15th century, derives from haberdasher (a seller of small wares) and the nominal suffix -y. Unlike a mercery, which purveys fine silks and costly textiles, or a boutique, which implies a fashionable outlet for stylish, often feminine attire, a haberdashery is a repository of the practical and foundational. It is the cool, precise weight of a brass thimble, the infinite chromatic spools of mercerized cotton arrayed on a wooden wall, and the faint, clean scent of new wool from a bolt of felt—a temple to the small, essential things that hold the larger garments of our lives together.
Etymology
From haberdasher + -y (nominalizer).
noun
- Ribbons, buttons, thread, needles and similar sewing goods sold in a haberdasher's shop.
- A shop selling such goods.
- A shop selling clothing and accessories for men, including hats.
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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