Tussah

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Referring to a type of silk produced by wild silkworms known for its coarse texture and natural tan color; relating to the wild variety of silk moth caterpillars that spin this fiber; designating fabric made from this rough, natural silk used in textiles
2. Describing coarse silk originating from wild silkworms distinguished by their untamed habitat and less processed fiber; identifying the insect larvae responsible for this silk; pertaining to the material woven from this naturally textured textile fiber
3. Denoting the raw silk derived from wild silk moths that is tougher and has a natural beige tone; relating to the wild insects producing this fiber; referring to cloth fashioned from such silkworm fiber cultivated in natural environments

Etymology: "Tussah" is a spelling variant of "tussar," the name for a wild silk fabric. The word travelled from Sanskrit "tasara," which meant "shuttle," the small tool a weaver passes back and forth through the threads of a loom. The link is practical rather than poetic: the name of the implement came to label the cloth produced in that craft. The Sanskrit term passed into Hindi as "tasar," and from there it reached English. Along the way the sense stayed tied to the silk itself rather than to the weaving tool, so the everyday meaning of the word today is simply the coarse, golden-toned silk spun by wild moth caterpillars rather than the domesticated silkworm.

Synonyms: tussah silk, wild silk