ecaille

Meanings

1. 1noununcountabletechnicalrare

   A pattern or surface that looks like fish scales, often used to describe fabric, leather, or decorative work.

   Grammar: Used as a mass noun for the look or finish; it is not usually counted, so say 'in ecaille' rather than 'an ecaille'.

   Patterns

   • in ecaille
   • an ecaille finish
   • ecaille pattern

   The designer chose a shimmering ecaille fabric that caught the light like fish scales.

   Her handbag had an ecaille finish, with overlapping shapes pressed into the leather.

   The wallpaper's ecaille pattern made the small room feel richly textured.

2. 2noununcountabletechnicalrare

   Enamelwork in which areas of color are separated by thin raised metal lines, typical of certain antique jewelry.

   Grammar: A specialist craft term; it names the technique or the material, not one finished object.

   Patterns

   • ecaille enamel
   • ecaille technique
   • a piece of ecaille

   The museum displayed a brooch made with ecaille, its colors held apart by delicate gold wire.

   Collectors prize ecaille work from the nineteenth century for its precise lines.

   She explained that ecaille involves filling tiny metal cells with melted glass.

Common combinations

ecaille pattern

The scarf featured a bold ecaille pattern in greens and blues.

ecaille finish

The table had an ecaille finish that reflected the candlelight.

ecaille enamel

The pendant is decorated with ecaille enamel in deep red.

in ecaille

The jacket was lined in ecaille silk.

Synonyms and how they differ

scaly

An adjective meaning covered in scales; ecaille is a noun naming a scale-like pattern or finish.

enamel

A broader term for melted glass fused to metal; ecaille is the specific compartmented technique.

Commonly confused: ecaille or scale?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “ecaille”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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