nankeen

[ nan-keen ]
/ nænˈkin /

noun

a firm, durable, yellow or buff fabric, formerly made from a natural-colored Chinese cotton.
a twilled material made from other cotton and dyed in imitation of this fabric.
nankeens, garments made of this material.
a yellow or buff color.
Also called Nankeen porcelain, Nanking china, Nanking ware . a type of Chinese porcelain having blue ornament on a white ground.

QUIZZES

QUIZ YOURSELF ON THESE WORDS FROM BROWN GIRL DREAMING!

Visualize yourself passing this quiz on words from Jacqueline Woodson’s exquisite verse novel “Brown Girl Dreaming,” and then take the quiz to prove you can do it! (Because you can.)
Question 1 of 10
What does “barren” mean?
a cylindrical wooden container with slightly bulging sides.
Worn down by dullness, tedious repetition.
unproductive; unfruitful
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT
Also nan·kin [nan-kin]. /ˈnæn kɪn/.

Origin of nankeen

1745–55; after NankinNanking, where first made

Words nearby nankeen

Nanga Parbat, Nanhai, nanism, nanite, Nanjing, nankeen, nankeen lily, Nanking, Nan Ling, Nanna, Nanning
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for nankeen

British Dictionary definitions for nankeen

nankeen

nankin (ˈnænkɪn)

/ (næŋˈkiːn) /

noun

a hard-wearing buff-coloured cotton fabric
  1. a pale greyish-yellow colour
  2. (as adjective)a nankeen carpet

Word Origin for nankeen

C18: named after Nanking, China, where it originated
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