From Latin 'villus' (shaggy hair) — named for the raised, hair-like pile; same root as biological 'villi.'
A closely woven fabric of silk, cotton, or nylon, with a thick, soft pile formed by cut loops of thread.
From Old French 'veluet' (later 'velours'), from Old Provençal 'velut,' from Medieval Latin 'villūtum' or 'vellūtum' (velvet, a shaggy fabric), derived from Latin 'villus' (shaggy hair, tuft of hair, nap of cloth). The Latin root 'villus' referred to the tufted or shaggy surface of a material — exactly the defining characteristic of velvet, which has a raised pile of cut threads. The same root produced 'velour' (through French 'velours') and is related to Latin 'vellus' (fleece), from which English
The medical term 'villi' — the tiny hair-like projections lining your small intestine — comes from the same Latin root as 'velvet.' Latin 'villus' meant 'shaggy hair' or 'tuft,' and both the luxurious fabric and the digestive anatomy are named for their similar fuzzy, hair-like surfaces. Velvet weaving was perfected in the medieval Islamic world — Cairo and Baghdad were the great centers