The town in Flanders, near Lille, after which a rich kind of tapestry was named, depicting figures and scenes, esp. mythological. Its reputation for quality was Europe-wide, giving rise to the Italian word for tapestry, arrazzo, and the Spanish drap de raz. Curtains of this material were often hung on the walls around a room; screens also were made of arras. Polonius famously hides behind one in Hamlet.
Dictionary of Medieval Terms and Phrases. Christopher Coredon with Ann Williams.