Forms: α. 4 twyle, 6 twile; 4–5 twyll (6 tywell), 4–6 twylle (6 tywlle, tylle), 5– twill (7 tuill). β. 4 twel, 6 tweal-, 7 Sc. tueill, tueile, 8– (orig. Sc.) tweel. [Northern and Sc. forms of twĭle TWILLY sb.1, with normal dropping of the final -e, and (esp. in Sc.) lengthening of original ĭ to ē in the stem-syllable: cf. the Sc. forms of the verbs swill, till.] A woven fabric characterized by parallel diagonal ridges or ribs, produced by causing the weft threads to pass over one and under two or more threads of the warp, instead of over and under in regular succession, as in plain weaving.
In quot. 1670, a twilled cloth used as a covering for a bed or mattress.
α. 1329. Acc. Chamberl. Scotl. (1771), 7. Sexaginta et decem ulnarum de twyll.
1330. in Dalrymple, Ann. Scot. (1797), III. 356. De 70 ulnis de twylle.
c. 1330. Durham Acc. Rolls (Surtees), 519. In ij pec. de Twyle pro saccis faciendis. Ibid. (1335–6), 529. In ij peciis panni de Twyll pro saccis.
1465. Reg. Gild Co. Chr. York (1872), 294. Una mappa de twill, cont. viij ulnas.
1511. Knaresborough Wills (Surtees), I. 2. j mensale de le twile.
1552. Inv. Ch. Goods (Surtees No. 97), 10. One vestment of read twill.
1583. Shuttleworths’ Acc. (Chetham Soc.), 12. Fivffe and tynty yardes of tywlle to be sakes. Ibid. (1586), 29. Sixtene yardes of tylle to be scakes. Ibid., 34. Sixtene yardes of tywell for to be sackes.
1670. Covel, in Early Voy. Levant (Hakl. Soc.), 115. All that lay on twills and bedsteads were sorely bitten with little bugs.
1674. Jeake, Arith. (1696), 65. In 1 Hundred of Tiking and Twill of Scotland, 120 Ells.
a. 1825. Forby, Voc. E. Anglia, Twill, a sort of coarse linen cloth, of which loose frocks, trowsers, &c. are made for working men.
1851–4. Tomlinson’s Cycl. Usef. Arts (1867), II. 856/1. Twills are distinguished by the number of leaves required in weaving them, as a three-leaf twill.
1889. Anthony’s Photogr. Bull., II. 310. A large piece of black twill, or other opaque material.
β. 1371. Durham Acc. Rolls (Surtees), 130. iiij manutergia de Twel.
[1571: see TWILLED a.1]
1647. Caldwell Pap. (Maitl. Cl.), I. 99. 4 elnes of Northland tueill at 14 ss ye elne.
a. 1724. in Ramsay, Tea-t. Misc. (1733), I. 29. (Maggie’s Tocher) Ye shall hae twa good pocks That anes were o’ the tweel.
1815. Scott, Guy M., xxvi. As gude a tweel as ever cam aff a pirn.
1824. Blackw. Mag., XV. 220. Manchester tweel, or by whatever more proper denomination … a white waistcoat may be characterized.
b. The, or a, method or process of weaving this fabric (also fig.); also the ribbed appearance or diagonal pattern of the material so woven.
c. 1779. in J. Skinner, Misc. Poet. (1809), 185. Some pawky chiel, That … seems to understand the tweel O’ rustic rhyme.
1839. Ure, Dict. Arts, 373. Crape … is woven with any crossing or tweel. Ibid., 1231. The first is the regular or run tweel, which … interweaves the warp and woof only at every fifth interval.
1843. Penny Cycl., XXVII. 178/1. When … in addition to a twill, the weaver has to produce … any kind of figure.
1892. Labour Commission Gloss., Twill, the pattern of a piece running diagonally from left to right.
c. attrib. and Comb., as twill bolster, calico, cloth, -heddle, hem, overall; twill-wove adj.; twill set: see quot.
1656. Melrose Regality Rec. (S.H.S.), 185. A *tueile bolster.
1904. Woollen Draper’s Terms, in Tailor & Cutt., 4 Aug., 480/1. *Twill Calico, a rather heavy calico with a twill pattern on it.
1839. Ure, Dict. Arts, 1236. For such a pattern…, two sets of common *tweel-heddles, moved in the ordinary way,… are sufficient.
1897. Mary Kingsley, W. Africa, 420. My favourite coloured cloth, bright pink, with a cardinal *twill hem round it.
1909. Cent. Dict., Supp. s.v. Set1, *Twill set, one of the three methods of inserting wire into the foundation of card-clothing.
1880. Plain Hints Needlework, 109. Strong twilled flannel with closely *twill-wove self-edge … used for petticoats.
