muslin

American  

[muhz-lin] / ˈmʌz lɪn /

noun

1. a cotton fabric made in various degrees of fineness and often printed, woven, or embroidered in patterns, especially a cotton fabric of plain weave, used for sheets and for a variety of other purposes.

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muslin British  

/ ˈmʌzlɪn /

noun

1. a fine plain-weave cotton fabric

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• undermuslin
  noun

Etymology

Origin of muslin

1600–10; < French mousseline < Italian mussolina, equivalent to Mussol ( o ) Mosul, Iraq (where first made) + -ina -ine ¹

Compare meaning

How does muslin compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• cheesecloth vs. muslin

Explanation

Muslin is a kind of cotton fabric that's plain and lightweight. Designers and dressmakers often use muslin to make inexpensive sample garments for fitting. Perfecting designs using muslin is so common that the practice garment itself is often referred to as a muslin: "Here, try on this muslin before we cut the pattern out of the silk." The word muslin comes from the French mousseline, which is rooted in Mosul, the city in Iraq where Western traders first encountered the fabric. This ancient muslin was a luxurious material, while today's is much more ordinary and affordable.