Lépissage

Lépissage is a term found in French-language technical and craft dictionaries that denotes a patching or joining technique involving the assembly of material through overlapping or layering. Its precise meaning varies by domain, and there is no single universally accepted definition. In practice, lépissage is often associated with methods that reinforce, repair, or extend a material by adding patches or by incorporating overlapping elements, typically secured by stitching, gluing, or fastening.

The word is relatively obscure and appears in a limited number of specialized glossaries and digitized corpora. Because of its specialized usage, etymological explanations are tentative; some sources suggest a relation to ideas of patching or layering, while others treat lépissage as a historically particular term without a clear common lineage. Orthographic variants and near-synonyms such as épissage or lapsage may appear in some texts, contributing to ambiguity about exact scope and meaning.

Applications of lépissage span several crafts, including textiles and leatherwork, where patches or overlapped layers are applied to repair or reinforce surfaces. In other contexts, the term may be encountered in historical descriptions of making or mending objects where pieces are joined by overlap rather than complete interlocking joints.

Because of its limited attestations, lépissage is best understood as a specialized or context-dependent term whose interpretation depends on the surrounding technical language. See also: patchwork, splicing, lap joint.