Buntin

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A thin, loosely woven fabric traditionally used to make flags and decorative strips for festive displays
2. Light cotton or woollen cloth that is often strung across streets and buildings as colourful festive decoration
3. The sheer, plain-woven material from which pennants and flags are typically made for outdoor celebrations

Etymology: The cloth is a sailor's fabric at heart. Its name is probably connected to "bunt," an old word for the loose, baggy part of a sail that bellies out in the wind. The thin, open-woven cloth was made for sails and flags, so the name likely describes the sail it was used for. The link is a plausible proposal rather than a settled fact, and etymologists have not fully confirmed the origin. The spelling "buntin" is a variant form of the same word. The songbird called a bunting is a separate word with its own unrelated history.