Tussore

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A coarse, golden-brown silk cloth woven from the fibres of wild silkworms that feed on oak and other trees
2. Fabric of rough, naturally tan-coloured silk produced by wild moths and often used for summer clothing and furnishings
3. A textile made from undyed wild silk, prized for its slightly nubby texture and warm, natural colour

Etymology: Tussore silk comes from a wild moth, not the domesticated silkworm, and the name traces back to the shuttle of an ancient Indian loom. The word passed from Sanskrit "tasara", meaning "shuttle", into Hindi as "tasar", which referred to the silk-producing moths and the fabric they made. English took it up in its "tussar" form and later spelled it "tussore". The link between the two meanings is the shape of the tool. A weaver's shuttle carries the thread back and forth across the loom, and the name was carried over from that implement to the silk and its source. The change from a wooden tool to a cloth and an insect shows how a name can migrate across objects that share no obvious resemblance except their role in making fabric.

Synonyms: tussah, tussar