damask
Americannoun
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a reversible fabric of linen, silk, cotton, or wool, woven with patterns.
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napery of this material.
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Metallurgy.
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Also called damask steel. Damascus steel.
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the pattern or wavy appearance peculiar to the surface of such steel.
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the pink color of the damask rose.
adjective
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made of or resembling damask.
damask cloth.
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of the pink color of the damask rose.
verb (used with object)
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to damascene.
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to weave or adorn with elaborate design, as damask cloth.
noun
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a reversible fabric, usually silk or linen, with a pattern woven into it. It is used for table linen, curtains, etc
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table linen made from this
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( as modifier )
a damask tablecloth
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short for Damascus steel
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the wavy markings on such steel
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the greyish-pink colour of the damask rose
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( as adjective )
damask wallpaper
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verb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of damask
1200–50; Middle English damaske < Medieval Latin damascus, named after Damascus where fabrics were first made
Explanation
Damask is a luxurious, heavy fabric that's often used to upholster furniture. Your grandparents love their new kitten so much that they don't even mind her clawing holes in their damask curtains. The word damask comes from Damascus, the Syrian city where this kind of fabric was originally made — it literally means "cloth from Damascus." Damask was one of the main styles of weaving during the early Middle Ages, and it has been a popular choice for fancy clothing, table coverings, and home decor ever since. Today some damask is made of synthetic material, but historically it was most often made from silk.
Vocabulary lists containing damask
Flowers for Algernon
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The Witch of Blackbird Pond
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Fabulous Fabrics
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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.
After being contacted by Mr. Sabra about the questions, Mr. Damask told him in an email that the quiz was meant to portray what terrorists believe.
From Washington Times • Aug. 18, 2022
Bill Clinton liked her pick for the curtains: Scalamandre’s Newport Damask, a historic fabric design Hockersmith had researched.
From Washington Post • Jan. 30, 2021
It has the Damask essence with a combination of some really nice fruity smells, which I mentioned before and which again in my mind are in the rose family.
From New York Times • Jul. 26, 2011
The rest – Behold the Sun and the Noh-opera Kantan and Damask Drum – were "cock-ups", he says, thanks to the brainless butchery of directors or mediocre productions.
From The Guardian • Sep. 23, 2010
Now the whole Damask Circuit is on edge, afraid that Julie’s capture will betray them.
From "Code Name Verity" by Elizabeth Wein
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.
