A thick, tufted woolen fabric used for upholstery and furnishings; coarser than velvet or plush.
From French bourre (stuffing, padding), related to the same root as 'burr' (something rough and filled). The term entered English through textile trade, particularly for describing upholstered furniture.
Victorian furniture used bourre extensively—the 'stuffed' furniture aesthetic came from industrial production of this coarse woolen base, making it the unsexy foundation of 19th-century luxury.
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