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percaline

American  
[pur-kuh-leen] / ˌpɜr kəˈlin /

noun

  1. a fine, lightweight cotton fabric, usually finished with a gloss and dyed in one color, used especially for linings.

percaline British  
/ ˈpɜːkəˌliːn, -lɪn /

noun

  1. a fine light cotton fabric, used esp for linings

"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

Etymology

Origin of percaline

From French, dating back to 1855–60; see origin at percale, -ine 2

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.

Probably the best cloth for this purpose is nainsook, although lonsdale cambric or lightweight percaline will answer nearly as well.

From The Boy Mechanic: Volume 1 700 Things for Boys to Do by Popular Mechanics Co.

"You needn't tease me about that, for you know as well as anything that I meant percaline."

From Cricket at the Seashore by Richards, Harriet Roosevelt

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.