Cassimere

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A smooth, tightly woven woolen cloth typically used for tailoring suits and trousers
2. A high-quality woolen fabric with a soft finish, traditionally employed in making formal menswear
3. A closely woven woolen material prized for its durability and refined appearance in garment construction

Etymology: "Cassimere" is an obsolete spelling of "cashmere," the fine, soft wool, and the spelling was once common enough to stand as a separate name for the cloth. Both spellings trace back to Kashmir, the Himalayan region whose name became a generic word for the fabric made from its goats' fine undercoat. This is an appellative: a place name that gradually came to name the product itself, much as "damask" came from Damascus. The spelling variant reflects the older English habit of rendering the Kashmir place name in a form closer to how it was pronounced locally and heard by English speakers, before the modern "cashmere" became standard. The word is used today mainly in historical contexts, such as older textiles, tailoring records, and period writing, where the earlier spelling still appears.

Synonyms: cassimere, kerseymere