cashmere
1 Americannoun
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the fine, downy wool at the roots of the hair of the Kashmir goat.
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a garment made of this wool.
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a yarn made from this wool.
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a wool or cashmere fabric of plain or twill weave.
noun
noun
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a fine soft wool from goats of the Kashmir area
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cloth or knitted material made from this or similar wool
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( as modifier )
a cashmere sweater
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noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of cashmere
First recorded in 1815–25; named after Cashmere
Explanation
Cashmere is an extremely soft wool that comes from a particular kind of goat. The goat itself is also called a cashmere. When you knit a sweater from cashmere, you end up with a garment that's much softer and less itchy than regular wool. You can use the same word when you describe the fabric itself, and things made with it: "I want a red cashmere scarf for my birthday." In the 17th century, the word specifically meant "a cashmere shawl," from Kashmir, the region of the Himalayas where this type of goat originated.
Vocabulary lists containing cashmere
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Goyol Cashmere was founded in 2005 by Delgerbat’s parents.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 6, 2026
Founder and CEO Caitlin Braam deems the Negroni-ish Cashmere, a cranberry cider with dark cherry and bitter orange peel, a particularly good fit for the holidays: “It evokes this warm wintry feeling and vibe.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 25, 2025
I am constantly harping on the fact that L.A. has amazing, curated boutiques like Mohawk General Store, elevated brands like Ghiaia Cashmere blowing up the menswear scene.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 31, 2024
No visit to Cashmere is complete without a visit to Aplets & Cotlets.
From Seattle Times • Sep. 2, 2023
Until we started coming to Grandma’s, we thought soap was a pink bar that came out of a wrapper labeled Cashmere Bouquet.
From "A Long Way from Chicago" by Richard Peck
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.