Dupions

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A type of coarse silk fabric characterized by irregular texture and slubs, often used in clothing and upholstery; may refer to the raw silk threads used to produce this fabric; also denotes textiles made from the silk of spun yarns from double cocoons
2. A textured silk cloth known for its rough surface caused by varying thread thicknesses, commonly utilized in garments and furnishing materials; the term can also denote the silk fibers harvested from paired silkworm cocoons; additionally, it describes the resulting fabric woven from these unique threads
3. A silk material distinguished by its uneven, nubby appearance due to inconsistencies in thread diameter, frequently employed in fashion and home decor; sometimes references the raw silk strands from double-threaded cocoons; furthermore, it implies the woven textile crafted from these distinctive yarns

Etymology: "Dupions" is the plural of "dupion," a silk fabric whose name comes from double cocoons. The French "doupion" and Italian "doppione" both descend from "doppio," meaning "double," which traces back to Latin "duplus." Silkworms that spin two of their cocoons together, fusing them into one, yield a thread that is uneven and knotted, and that irregular raw material gives the cloth its characteristic slubby texture. The same Latin root sits behind "double" itself, and the English word "doubloon," the gold coin, is a related borrowing from the Spanish "doblón," which also descends from "doble" and has the same ancestry.

Synonyms: dupion silk, raw silk