Also 6 faile or fayle. [a. F. faille in same senses.]
† 1. A kind of head-dress. Obs.
1530. Palsgr., 218/2. Fayle, an upparmost garment of a woman.
1694. Earl Perth, Lett. (Camden), 30. A faille … is a great scarf of tafita for the best, and of worsted for others.
2. A light kind of ribbed silk fabric.
Faille française has a larger rib than faille proper, being thus intermediate between this and ‘ottoman.’ Recently the term wool faille has been applied to a kind of ‘terry.’
1869. Le Follet, Feb. Faille is very fashionable for long dress.
1878–9. A. Barlow, Weaving, 396. The most important of these manufactures comprise … Taffetas and ‘Failles,’ black.
1887. Yng. Ladies Jrnl., XXX. 122. The bonnet is of cream faille.
1888. Bow Bells Weekly, 13 Jan. The train is in full folds of yellow tulle over yellow faille.
1889. Daily News, 24 July, 5/5. The finest and softest corded silk, of the sort known technically as faille française.
