zenana cloth, n.

zenana-cloth
http://www.oed.com/dictionary/zenana-cloth_n%3Ftab%3Dmeaning_and_use
Revised 2018

# zenana clothnoun

## Factsheet

### What does the noun zenana cloth mean?

There are two meanings listed in OED's entry for the noun zenana cloth. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.

### Where does the noun zenana cloth come from?

Earliest known use

1880s

The earliest known use of the noun zenana cloth is in the 1880s.

OED's earliest evidence for zenana cloth is from 1885, in Adelaide Observer.

### Nearby entries

1. zemi, n. 1555–
2. zemiistic, adj. 1907–
3. zemirah, n. 1767–
4. zemni, n. 1775–
5. Zemsky Sobor, n. 1877–
6. zemstvo, n. 1865–
7. zemstvoist, n. 1904–
8. Zen, n. & adj. 1727–
9. Zen, v. 1968–
10. zenana, n. & adj. 1761–
11. zenana cloth, n.1885–
12. Zen Buddhist, adj. & n. 1917–
13. Zend, n. & adj. 1700–
14. zendaletto, n. 1789–
15. Zend-Avesta, n. 1630–
16. Zend-Avestaic, adj. 1816
17. Zend-Avestan, adj. & n. 1871–
18. Zend-Avestic, adj. 1864–
19. Zendic, n. & adj. 1771–
20. Zendician, n. a1833–66
21. Zendicism, n. 1697–

## Meaning & use

Now rare.

1. 1885–
   a. n. A light, though warm, quilted or matelassé fabric used for women's clothing, esp. for dressing gowns, tea gowns, and other informal garments designed to be worn in private (cf. zenana n. A.2); b. adj. made of this fabric.
   1. 1885

      > Zenana Cloth, 9s. 11d. doz.

      Adelaide Observer 26 September 40/5 (advertisement)
   2. 1897

      > As chilly hours draw near we may be permitted to turn to Zenana-cloth for some items of our lingerie.

      Lady's Realm vol. 1 93/1
   3. 1919

      > French Zenana cloth lounging robes.

      Boston Daily Globe 1 October 13/4
   4. 1952

      > Zenana cloth, a self-patterned rayon fabric with a cosy, fleecy back, is specially imported from France.

      Sydney Morning Herald 12 February 8
   5. 1987

      > A zenana-cloth bedjacket, lace bonnet, and bobbled slippers.

      D. Bellos, translation of G. Perec, Life: User's Manual xxxviii. 170
   costume textiles
   1. warm?c1225–
      Of clothing, or the natural integument of animals: Made of material which retains heat in the body.
   2. furred c1325–
      Made of fur, lined or trimmed with fur.
   3. russet 1390–
      Of clothing, etc.: made of russet.
   4. imperial purple 1577–
      a. Of clothing, etc.: made of imperial purple; (also figurative) royal, imperial, exalted. b. Of a deep crimson or violet-purple colour. Cf. purple…
   5. broadcloth 1632–
      Made of broadcloth.
   6. furry 1691–
      transferred and figurative.
   7. kidden 1714
      Made of kid-skin.
   8. Shetland 1790–
      spec. Designating a garment made of Shetland wool, Shetland yarn, or knitted using the traditional techniques and designs of Shetland knitting, as…
   9. pepper-and-salt 1792–
      Of a garment: made of pepper-and-salt cloth.
   10. dreadnought 1798–
       Made of or consisting of dreadnought (sense A.2). Now historical.
   11. cilice 1812–
       Hair-cloth; a rough garment made of hair-cloth, generally worn as a penitential robe. Also attributive.
   12. moleskin 1836–
       Made of moleskin.
   13. nainsook 1852–
       Made of nainsook.
   14. lingerie a1865–
       attributive.
   15. fishnet 1873–
       As a modifier, designating an open-meshed fabric or garment, now often in fishnet stockings, fishnet tights.
   16. fishnetted 1878–
       Of fabric, items of clothing, etc.: having an open-meshed structure resembling that of a fishing net; made of, decorated, or covered with this type…
   17. pepper-salt 1882–
       = pepper-and-salt, n. A.1.
   18. zenana cloth 1885–
       a. n. A light, though warm, quilted or matelassé fabric used for women's clothing, esp. for dressing gowns, tea gowns, and other informal garments…
   19. Milanese 1897–
       Of or made of a warp-knit fabric made on a Milanese loom usually from silk or now chiefly rayon yarns. Chiefly in Milanese silk.
   20. ramie 1906–
       Made of ramie.
   21. pinstripe 1935–
       Designating cloth having a pattern of very narrow stripes; (of a garment) made of such cloth.
   22. stranded 1935–
       Of a fur garment: made of skins which have been cut into diagonal strips and resewn.
   23. Day-Glo 1949–
       Painted or marked with Day-Glo paints, pigments, etc., typically being very bright and vividly colourful; (esp. of a garment) made with a material…
   View in Historical Thesaurus
   1. crisp 1397–1619
      Some thin or delicate textile fabric, used esp. by women for veils or head-coverings; ? a crape-like material. Cf. crisp, adj. I.3. Obsolete.
   2. peeling 1671–1798
      A thin silk fabric used as a dress material, originally imported to Britain from China in the late 17th cent.
   3. barége 1828–
      A light, silky dress-fabric, resembling gauze, originally made at Baréges.
   4. veil net 1841–
      a. (As a count noun) any of various types of accessory for the hair made from fine mesh or netting; spec. a hair net; b. (as a mass noun) light…
   5. Henrietta cloth 1842–
      A light twilled dress fabric typically woven from wool or from worsted and silk.
   6. Tibet 1857–
      Used attributively of wool obtained thence, or of cloth or garments made from this or in imitation of it; applied (usually thibet) to (a) a heavy…
   7. piuma 1858–
      A type of light fabric.
   8. crystalline 1867–
      A type of light silk fabric. Cf. sense A.5.
   9. fluff 1875–
      ? Soft feathery material for dress.
   10. nun's veiling 1882–
       A thin, light plain-weave fabric used for blouses and dresses; cf. nun's veil cloth, n.
   11. zenana cloth 1885–
       a. n. A light, though warm, quilted or matelassé fabric used for women's clothing, esp. for dressing gowns, tea gowns, and other informal garments…
   12. zenana 1890–
       Short for zenana cloth, n. (a). Now rare.
   13. voilette 1908–
       A kind of thin dress material.
   14. Palm Beach 1911–
       A proprietary name for: a kind of lightweight fabric used for clothing, used attributively in Palm Beach cloth, Palm Beach jacket, Palm Beach suit…
   View in Historical Thesaurus

Originally published as part of the entry for zenana, n. & adj.

zenana, n. & adj. was revised in June 2018.