Noun. The underlying structure on which something is built; a base or foundation. 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.
"profound dislocations throughout the entire warp and woof of the American economy" (David A. Stockman).
by IAMDAOZ September 24, 2008