What is "corduroy"

Corduroy \Cor"du*roy`\, v. t. To form of logs laid side by side. ``Roads were corduroyed.''
--Gen. W. T. Sherman.

Corduroy \Cor"du*roy`\ (k[^o]r"d[-u]*roi` or k[^o]r`d[-u]*roi"), n. [Prob. for F. corde du roi king's cord.]

1. A sort of cotton velveteen, having the surface raised in ridges.

2. pl. Trousers or breeches of corduroy.

   Corduroy road, a roadway formed of logs laid side by side across it, as in marshy places; -- so called from its rough or ribbed surface, resembling corduroy. [U.S.]

1780, probably from cord + obsolete 17c. duroy, name of a coarse fabric made in England, which is of unknown origin. Folk etymology is from *corde du roi "the king's cord," but this is not attested in French, where the term for the cloth was velours à côtes. Applied in U.S. to a road of logs across swampy ground (1780s) on similarity of appearance.\n\nCORDUROY ROAD. A road or causeway constructed with logs laid together over swamps or marshy places. When properly finished earth is thrown between them by which the road is made smooth; but in newly settled parts of the United States they are often left uncovered, and hence are extremely rough and bad to pass over with a carriage. Sometimes they extend many miles. They derive their name from their resemblance to a species of ribbed velvet, called corduroy.

[Bartlett]

n. A heavy fabric, usually made of cotton, with vertical ribs. vb. To make (a road) by laying down split logs or tree-trunks over a marsh, swamp etc.

1. n. a cut pile fabric with vertical ribs; usually made of cotton [syn: cord]

2. a road made of logs laid crosswise

v. build (a road) from logs laid side by side

Corduroy is a textile composed of twisted fibers that, when woven, lie parallel (similar to twill) to one another to form the cloth's distinct pattern, a "cord." Modern corduroy is most commonly composed of tufted cords, sometimes exhibiting a channel (bare to the base fabric) between the tufts. Corduroy is, in essence, a ridged form of velvet.

The fabric looks as if it is made from multiple cords laid parallel to each other and then stitched together. The word corduroy is from cord and duroy, a coarse woolen cloth made in England in the 18th century. The interpretation of the word as corde du roi (from French, the cord of the King) is a folk etymology.

As a fabric, corduroy is considered a durable cloth. Corduroy is found in the construction of trousers, jackets and shirts. The width of the cord is commonly referred to as the size of the "wale" (i.e. the number of ridges per inch). The lower the "wale" number, the thicker the width of the wale (e.g., 4-wale is much thicker than 11-wale). Corduroy’s wale count per inch can vary from 1.5 to 21, although the traditional standard falls somewhere between 10 and 12. Wide wale is more commonly used in trousers and furniture upholstery (primarily couches); medium, narrow, and fine wale fabrics are usually found in garments worn above the waist.

Corduroy is made by weaving extra sets of fiber into the base fabric to form vertical ridges called wales. The wales are built so that clear lines can be seen when they are cut into pile. The primary types of corduroy are:

• Standard wale: 11 wales/inch, and available in many colours
• Pincord/pinwale/needlecord: Pincord is the finest cord around with a count at the upper end of the spectrum (above 16)
• Pigment dyed/printed corduroy: The process of colouring or printing corduroy with pigment dyes. The dye is applied to the surface of the fabric, then the garment is cut and sewn. When washed during the final phase of the manufacturing process, the pigment dye washes out in an irregular way, creating a vintage look. The colour of each garment becomes softer with each washing, and there is a subtle color variation from one to the next. No two are alike.

Corduroy is a 1968 children's book written and illustrated by Don Freeman, and published by Viking Press. Based on a 2007 online poll, the National Education Association named the book one of its "Teachers' Top 100 Books for Children." It was one of the "Top 100 Picture Books" of all time in a 2012 poll by School Library Journal.

Corduroy is a woven fabric.

Corduroy may also refer to:

• Corduroy (Pearl Jam song), a 1994 song by Pearl Jam
• Corduroy (band), a London-based acid jazz band
• Corduroy (TV series), a PBS animated television show
• Corduroy (book), a children's book by Don Freeman
• Corduroy road, or log road, a type of road

"Corduroy" is a song by the American alternative rock band Pearl Jam. The song is the eighth track on the band's third studio album, Vitalogy (1994). Although credited to all members of Pearl Jam, it was primarily written by vocalist Eddie Vedder. Despite the lack of a commercial single release, the song managed to reach number 13 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart. The song was included on Pearl Jam's 2004 greatest hits album, rearviewmirror (Greatest Hits 1991–2003).

Corduroy is an American/Canadian/Chinese animated children's TV series based on Don Freeman's 1968 children's book Corduroy. The show aired for one season on PBS Kids' Bookworm Bunch until it was cancelled along with Elliot Moose. The show was set in New York City. It was directed by Louis Piche and Larry Jacobs. In Canada, the show was shown on Treehouse TV as well as TVOntario, but has since been removed from these stations' schedules as well. The show only lasted for 13 half-hour episodes (26 11-minute stories), airing from 2000 to 2001.

Corduroy were a four-piece acid jazz outfit based in London, formed around twins Ben Addison ( drums/ vocals) and Scott Addison ( keyboards/ vocals), who were previously in Sire Records act Boys Wonder (Scott had been guitarist with Boys Wonder, while Ben had been the lead vocalist). Joining the twins in the band were Richard Searle and guitarist Simon Nelson-Smith. Searle had been bass player with Doctor and the Medics, who topped the UK Singles Chart in 1986 with a cover version of " Spirit in the Sky". Searle had joined the Addison twins in the final incarnation of Boys Wonder, before the band gradually evolved into Corduroy in 1991, initially forming for a one-off New Year's Eve party.

The self-dubbed "fabric four" primarily recorded in a film soundtrack style, and many of their tracks were instrumentals. On the release of their first album Dad Man Cat, Paul Moody wrote in the New Musical Express: “Whereas the rest of the Acid Jazz roster fidget around in a world of skinny ribbed roll-necks comparing sideburn growth, Corduroy manage to swagger through the same po-faced domain with a couldn’t-care-less braggadocio... Corduroy have got their collective tongue stuck firmly in someone else’s cheek here and it feels staggeringly good.”

Releasing three albums on Eddie Piller's Acid Jazz Records, they received radio airplay for their single "Something In My Eye" in 1993, but national chart success evaded them, although several singles from their 1993 album High Havoc charted in the UK Independent Chart. Their 1994 album, Out of Here, reached number 73 in the UK Albums Chart.

They remained a popular live attraction, particularly on the college circuit. They also gained a healthy following in Japan, making the first of several trips to the country in 1993, and the following year they recorded a live album, Quattro - Live In Japan. After leaving Acid Jazz Records they signed to Big Cat Records, releasing two further albums: The New You! (April 1997) and the Rob Playford produced Clik! (August 1999). But when they discovered that their record label, Big Cat, had been dropped by parent company V2, Corduroy decided to split up.

Corduroy reformed and played two sell-out nights at the Jazz Cafe in Camden, London, on 16 and 17 June 2007. Searle is not involved with the new incarnation of the band, now working under the name of Corduroy Industries. The latest news on their Myspace site states that they have completed an album of Motown covers.

Ben has also released an album of Beatles covers under the name of 'Ben from Corduroy'

Corduroy (born August 1, 1989) is a male domestic cat that held the record as the world's oldest living cat until May 2016. He was also the oldest cat in 2014, aged 25 years old at the time, until being replaced by Tiffany Two. In August 2015, Corduroy regained the title.

On May 10, 2016, Corduroy was replaced by a 30-year-old Siamese cat named Scooter (born March 26, 1986). However, Scooter died less than a week after being named the record-holder, possibly making Corduroy the holder of oldest living cat once again.