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• cashmere
  cashmere

  noun

  the fine, downy wool at the roots of the hair of the Kashmir goat.
• Cashmere
  Cashmere

  noun

  Kashmir.

cashmere

¹ American  

[kazh-meer, kash-] / ˈkæʒ mɪər, ˈkæʃ- /

Or kashmir

noun

1. the fine, downy wool at the roots of the hair of the Kashmir goat.

2. a garment made of this wool.

3. a yarn made from this wool.

4. a wool or cashmere fabric of plain or twill weave.

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Cashmere ² American  

[kash-meer] / kæʃˈmɪər /

noun

1. Kashmir.

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cashmere ¹ British  

/ ˈkæʃmɪə /

noun

1. a fine soft wool from goats of the Kashmir area

2. 1. cloth or knitted material made from this or similar wool

   2. ( as modifier )

      a cashmere sweater

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Cashmere ² British  

/ kæʃˈmɪə /

noun

1. a variant spelling of Kashmir

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Other Word Forms

• Cashmerian
  adjective

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

cashmere Cashmere

Determined, Cucinelli borrowed enough money to buy 20 kilograms of ecru-colored cashmere to make 60 bright sweaters.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026

Before long, we saw someone who looked identical, now dressed very smartly in jeans and what appeared to be a cashmere coat.

From BBC ● Jul. 2, 2026

At Studio City, I overheard two moms in white pants and cashmere sweaters talking about how, based on their Instagram recon, they figured out that so-and-so was sitting next to so-and-so at a benefit dinner.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 25, 2026

‘Humanize me a little,” says the petite woman in a cashmere sweater at the end of a forthright, occasionally spiky interview.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 27, 2026

Now, Emenike sat across from Obinze in a dimly lit restaurant, after shrugging off his jacket to reveal a tan cashmere sweater that looked faultless.

From "Americanah" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

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

At first, the city of Cashmere had “no clue what it would actually take to do this survey,” said Mayor Jim Fletcher.

From Seattle Times ● Sep. 9, 2023

Cashmere starts the ball rolling with a speech about how she just can’t stop crying when she thinks of how much the people in the Capitol must be suffering because they will lose us.

From "Catching Fire" by Suzanne Collins

Related Words

• fleece
• fur
• hair
• mohair
• tweed
• yarn