tex·ture
ˈteks-chər 
1
a
: the visual or tactile surface characteristics and appearance of something
the texture of an oil painting
b
: the disposition or manner of union of the particles of a body or substance
2
a
: a composite of the elements of prose or poetry
all these words … meet violently to form a texture impressive and exciting—
John Berryman
John Berryman
b
: a pattern of musical sound created by tones or lines played or sung together
4
a
: something composed of closely interwoven elements
specifically
: a woven cloth
b
: the structure formed by the threads of a fabric
5
a
: basic scheme or structure
b
: overall structure
Examples of texture in a Sentence
Noun
wood with a rough texture
the smooth texture of silk
The plant's leaves are almost leathery in texture.
foods with very different textures
The custard should be smooth and creamy in texture.
a song with layered textures
I liked the raw, gritty texture of the film.
The movies are similar in texture.
Recent Examples on the WebRobert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 4 Apr. 2024
What ingredients and textures to look out for The texture of cleansing oils can vary.
—Iman Balagam, Vogue, 4 Apr. 2024
In fact, the series takes its time to gradually acclimates audiences to the texture of the show.
—William Earl, Variety, 4 Apr. 2024
The lightweight texture penetrates and absorbs into the skin within seconds to instantly reduce visible redness and boost the skin barrier.
—Danielle Cohen, Glamour, 3 Apr. 2024
With their melting pools of vibrant colors, deeply layered levels of texture and sometimes calligraphic line-work, the pieces show how much experimentation Sobel applied to her art.
—Helen Stoilas, CNN, 1 Apr. 2024
The zoom ring takes up most of the space here and is easy to find thanks to its ribbed plastic texture.
—PCMAG, 31 Mar. 2024
This cake will stick a little bit, because that's just how the texture of angel food cake is.
—Jessica Furniss, Southern Living, 30 Mar. 2024
Besides the texture, the gripe most people have with tofu is the taste.
—Clare Mulroy, USA TODAY, 23 Mar. 2024
Southern Living Test Kitchen, Southern Living, 30 Mar. 2024
Rich floral and red fruit notes sweetened with honey and textured with hearty oak and brown spices.
—The Courier-Journal, 29 Mar. 2024
The seam in the middle divided two fabrics, one that was smooth and the other textured with a long train that wrapped around her wrist with a gold chain attached.
—Kerane Marcellus, Essence, 22 Mar. 2024
Hausmann-Stokes served for five years in the U.S. Army as a paratrooper in Iraq before pursuing filmmaking full-time; his experience textures the lives of these fictional veterans.
—Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Mar. 2024
Their combined consistency is at once smooth and gently textured, and the taste leans slightly toward sweetness, though slivers of pickled onion strewn over the top bend the overall flavors back toward savory.
—Bill Addison, Los Angeles Times, 7 Mar. 2024
Details that in the past might have been highly textured have been lightened considerably, and are even screen-printed or heat-pressed by some brands.
—Amanda Mull, The Atlantic, 20 Feb. 2024
The team's approach combined digital scanning with micro-computed tomography—a noninvasive technique often used for cancer imaging—with segmentation to digitally create pages, augmented with texturing and flattening techniques.
—Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 5 Feb. 2024
Both types of bristles are densely packed to grasp and give coarse hair textures a sleek look.
—Deanna Pai, Vogue, 29 Jan. 2024
Noun
The camera — like Tom, by extension — takes pleasure in the texture of a pitted wall, in the smooth marble of Baroque sculptures, and looks lovingly on all manner of objects, appropriate to a story partially about the power of things to define taste, furnish a life, create a self.
—Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 4 Apr. 2024
What ingredients and textures to look out for The texture of cleansing oils can vary.
—Iman Balagam, Vogue, 4 Apr. 2024
In fact, the series takes its time to gradually acclimates audiences to the texture of the show.
—William Earl, Variety, 4 Apr. 2024
The lightweight texture penetrates and absorbs into the skin within seconds to instantly reduce visible redness and boost the skin barrier.
—Danielle Cohen, Glamour, 3 Apr. 2024
With their melting pools of vibrant colors, deeply layered levels of texture and sometimes calligraphic line-work, the pieces show how much experimentation Sobel applied to her art.
—Helen Stoilas, CNN, 1 Apr. 2024
The zoom ring takes up most of the space here and is easy to find thanks to its ribbed plastic texture.
—PCMAG, 31 Mar. 2024
This cake will stick a little bit, because that's just how the texture of angel food cake is.
—Jessica Furniss, Southern Living, 30 Mar. 2024
Besides the texture, the gripe most people have with tofu is the taste.
—Clare Mulroy, USA TODAY, 23 Mar. 2024
Verb
Our Tips for the Best Ham Biscuits When making ham biscuits, keep these tips in mind for the most consistent results:
Flour quantity: Spoon and level (or weigh) your flour to achieve the same dough texture every time.
—Southern Living Test Kitchen, Southern Living, 30 Mar. 2024
Rich floral and red fruit notes sweetened with honey and textured with hearty oak and brown spices.
—The Courier-Journal, 29 Mar. 2024
The seam in the middle divided two fabrics, one that was smooth and the other textured with a long train that wrapped around her wrist with a gold chain attached.
—Kerane Marcellus, Essence, 22 Mar. 2024
Hausmann-Stokes served for five years in the U.S. Army as a paratrooper in Iraq before pursuing filmmaking full-time; his experience textures the lives of these fictional veterans.
—Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Mar. 2024
Their combined consistency is at once smooth and gently textured, and the taste leans slightly toward sweetness, though slivers of pickled onion strewn over the top bend the overall flavors back toward savory.
—Bill Addison, Los Angeles Times, 7 Mar. 2024
Details that in the past might have been highly textured have been lightened considerably, and are even screen-printed or heat-pressed by some brands.
—Amanda Mull, The Atlantic, 20 Feb. 2024
The team's approach combined digital scanning with micro-computed tomography—a noninvasive technique often used for cancer imaging—with segmentation to digitally create pages, augmented with texturing and flattening techniques.
—Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 5 Feb. 2024
Both types of bristles are densely packed to grasp and give coarse hair textures a sleek look.
—Deanna Pai, Vogue, 29 Jan. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'texture.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near texture
Cite this Entry
“Texture.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/texture. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
texture
1 of 2 noun
tex·ture
ˈteks-chər
1
: the structure, feel, and appearance of something (as a fabric)
the smooth texture of silk
wood with a rough texture
2
: a quality that identifies something
texture
2 of 2 verb
textured; texturing
: to give a particular texture to
texture a ceiling
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