madras
noun
a light cotton fabric of various weaves, especially one in multicolored plaid or stripes, used for shirts, dresses, jackets, etc.
madras
1 American
[mad-ruhs, muh-dras, -drahs]
/ ˈmæd rəs, məˈdræs, -ˈdrɑs /
noun
-
a light cotton fabric of various weaves, especially one in multicolored plaid or stripes, used for shirts, dresses, jackets, etc.
-
a thin curtain fabric of a light, gauzelike weave with figures of heavier yarns.
-
a large, brightly colored kerchief, of silk or cotton, often used for turbans.
adjective
Madras
2
American
[muh-dras, -drahs]
/ məˈdræs, -ˈdrɑs /
madras
1
British
/ ˈmædrəs, məˈdræs, -ˈdrɑːs /
noun
-
-
a strong fine cotton or silk fabric, usually with a woven stripe
-
( as modifier )
madras cotton
-
-
something made of this, esp a scarf
-
a medium-hot curry
chicken madras
Madras
2
British
/ məˈdrɑːs, -ˈdræs /
noun
-
the former official name of Chennai
-
the former name (until 1968) for the state of Tamil Nadu
Etymology
Origin of madras
First recorded in 1825–35; named after Madras
Explanation
Madras is a type of cotton cloth that's patterned with a colorful plaid design. If you're headed to a preppy country club, you might want to wear your favorite madras shorts. Madras is a fabric that's commonly worn during the warmest months and can be spotted in the form of golfers' pants, men's summer jackets, and women's sundresses. This distinctive cloth is named for the place it was originally made, the Indian city once called Madras, which is known today as Chennai.
Vocabulary lists containing madras
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.
See Examples For:
Spice-battered hake, triple-cooked chips in a madras salt, spiced dahl mushy peas, served with a mango and tomato ketchup and coriander and lime vinegar and a rum and pickled egg cocktail.
From BBC ● Sep. 9, 2023
Sorry, but you can’t wear white after Labor Day, and you should never wear a madras jacket with matching pants.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 9, 2022
Priming for summer found some “Real” madras shorts!
From Seattle Times ● May 17, 2022
Baldwin's Madras curry powder is a star-stellar addition in her personal recipe for madras curry apple doughnut muffins.
From Salon ● Dec. 11, 2021
On his way up the steps he encountered Bud Gleason, decked out in a madras sport coat and bow tie, coming down and Onofre tipped his cowboy hat good day with his invisible arm.
From "The Milagro Beanfield War" by John Nichols
A legal bid by some residents to annul all transactions since Ravi's arrival in 2021 was rejected by the Madras High Court last year, but several other cases are ongoing.
From Barron's ● Jun. 25, 2026
In 1914, shortly before leaving Madras for Cambridge, renowned Indian mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan published a paper presenting 17 different formulas for calculating pi.
From Science Daily ● Dec. 16, 2025
Within weeks of arriving, I loathed Madras, where rats stole the padding from my earphones, the humidity left me weak and men tailed my mother in traffic, desperate to buy our imported car.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 29, 2025
He studied at the Presidency College in Madras, acquiring a bachelor's degree before studying law and beginning his career as an apprentice with a Madras High Court judge.
From BBC ● Jun. 19, 2025
First class, on the Madras Mail to Madras.
From "The God of Small Things" by Arundhati Roy
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.
