A soft, felt-like fabric with a napped surface, typically made of wool or cotton, commonly used as a covering for pool tables, billiard tables, and other surfaces.
From French 'baies' (plural of 'baie,' referring to a type of cloth). The word traveled from French into English during the 16th-17th centuries as this fabric became popular in Europe.
The distinctive green baize on pool tables isn't just decorative—the nap (fuzzy surface) reduces friction just enough to give experienced players predictable rolling patterns, which is why professional tournaments care intensely about baize quality.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.