noun
dry-goods store; fabric shop
A shop that sells cloth, textiles, and related sewing supplies. The term is somewhat traditional and may be less common in modern urban settings, where 生地屋 or 布屋 are also used.
祖母は近所の切れ屋で着物の生地を買っていた。
My grandmother used to buy kimono fabric at the local dry-goods store.
この通りには昔ながらの切れ屋がまだ残っている。
An old-fashioned fabric shop still remains on this street.
More commonly used for a fabric shop in modern Japanese; 切れ屋 has a slightly more traditional or old-fashioned feel.
Specializes in kimono fabrics and accessories, often more upscale than a general dry-goods store.
Compound of 切れ (kire, 'piece of cloth') and 屋 (ya, 'shop'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the word follows a common pattern for naming traditional retail stores.