Dictionary.com
definitions
  • synonyms

cheesecloth

[cheez-klawth, -kloth]
See more synonyms for cheesecloth on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. a lightweight cotton fabric of open texture.
Show More

Origin of cheesecloth

First recorded in 1650–60; so called because first used to wrap cheese
Also called, especially British, butter muslin.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
British Dictionary definitions for cheese cloth

cheesecloth

noun
  1. a loosely woven cotton cloth formerly used only for wrapping cheese
Show More
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for cheese cloth

n.

1650s, originally cloth in which curds were pressed, from cheese (n.1) + cloth.

Show More
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper