1.
piece of cloth; scrap of fabric; rag
A small piece or remnant of woven fabric, often left over from cutting or sewing. Can refer to anything from a useful remnant to an old rag.
布切れで汚れを拭いた。
I wiped the dirt with a piece of cloth.
余った布切れで小さな袋を作った。
I made a small pouch from leftover scraps of fabric.
引き出しの中に色とりどりの布切れが入っていた。
There were colorful scraps of fabric inside the drawer.
Compound of 布 ('cloth; fabric') and 切れ ('piece; cutting; scrap'). The suffix 切れ attaches to material nouns to indicate a piece or remnant: 紙切れ ('scrap of paper'), 木切れ ('piece of wood').
USAGE:
- Commonly encountered in sewing, crafting, and household contexts.
- Can be neutral ('a piece of fabric for a project') or slightly dismissive ('just a rag').
- In fairy tales and folk stories, a humble 布切れ sometimes turns out to be a magical garment or valuable heirloom.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 布切れで拭く: to wipe with a piece of cloth
- 余った布切れ: leftover fabric scraps
- 小さな布切れ: a small scrap of cloth
- 布切れを縫い合わせる: to sew scraps of cloth together
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 端切れ: fabric remnant — specifically refers to leftover pieces from cutting fabric for sewing
- 雑巾: cleaning rag; dust cloth — a cloth specifically used for cleaning, typically made from old towels or fabric
- 布: cloth; fabric — the base material word without the 'piece/scrap' nuance
- ぼろ切れ: tattered rag — emphasizes the worn, shabby condition of the cloth