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bou·clé or bou·cle

(b-klā)

1. A type of yarn usually consisting of three strands, one of which is less taut, creating a looped or curly texture.

2. Fabric woven or knitted from this yarn.

[French, from past participle of boucler, to curl, from Old French, from boucle, buckle, curl of hair; see BUCKLE.]

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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