gingham

American  

[ging-uhm] / ˈgɪŋ əm /

noun

1. yarn-dyed, plain-weave cotton fabric, usually striped or checked.

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gingham British  

/ ˈɡɪŋəm /

noun

1. textiles

   1. a cotton fabric, usually woven of two coloured yarns in a checked or striped design

   2. ( as modifier )

      a gingham dress

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Etymology

Origin of gingham

1605–15; < Dutch gingang < Malay gəŋgaŋ, giŋgaŋ with space between, hence, striped

Explanation

Checked cotton cloth is called gingham. If you're planning on eating lunch at the beach, you might want to bring your gingham picnic blanket — and plenty of sunscreen. When you see the cheerful checked pattern of gingham fabric, it probably makes you think of curtains in homey kitchen windows, your grandma's tablecloth, or little girls' summer dresses trimmed in rickrack. Most gingham is patterned with small checks of white and one other color. The word comes, via the Dutch gingang, from a Malay word that means "striped."

Example Sentences

But "when I'm with Hyodol, I never get hurt", she said, holding the cuddly doll with pigtails and a pink gingham dress, provided by her local municipality.

From Barron's • Jun. 11, 2026

When I complimented a man’s blue gingham suit, he handed me a handmade beaded, Taylor Swift-style bracelet that read: Toto Too.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 3, 2025

There’s that “head in the clouds” gingham catastrophe, Maryam Keyhani’s showstopping $600-and-change confusion that Carrie wore on a stroll with Seema through Washington Square Park in the premiere.

From Salon • Jun. 7, 2025

The crowd in the dining room was a mix of older and younger, but most people were dressed on the preppy side in gingham and Ralph Lauren.

From Slate • Nov. 2, 2024

I wore a blue gingham skirt I’d sewn myself and an ironed T-shirt, white as a bowl of whole milk.

From "Hope Springs" by Jaime Berry