1. Home
2. Idioms
3. warp and woof

warp and woof

---

---

warp and woof

The underlying structure or foundation of something, as in He foresaw great changes in the warp and woof of the nation's economy. This expression, used figuratively since the second half of the 1500s, alludes to the threads that run lengthwise ( warp) and crosswise ( woof) in a woven fabric.

See also: and, warp, woof