taffeta
[taf-i-tuh]
- a medium-weight or light-weight fabric of acetate, nylon, rayon, or silk, usually smooth, crisp, and lustrous, plain-woven, and with a fine crosswise rib effect.
- any of various other fabrics of silk, linen, wool, etc., in use at different periods.
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- of or resembling taffeta.
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Origin of taffeta
1325–75; Middle English taffata < Medieval Latin ≪ Persian tāftah silken or linen cloth, noun use of past participle of tāftan to twist, spin
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for taffeta
Contemporary Examples
In the Forum Club, there is taffeta and lace, leather and gold.
Historical Examples
How does this design differ from the taffeta with the design?
Clothing and HealthHelen Kinne
The curtain, of taffeta, cut cross-wise, is not gathered in the seam.
And the knight, Sir Oliver Lollio, swore he would bestow a taffeta petticoat on thee, but to break his fast with thee.
Taffeta and silk, as well as fine parchment, were used for the mounts.
Instinctively she sensed when taffeta was to be superseded by foulard.
Half PortionsEdna Ferber
taffeta
- a crisp lustrous plain-weave silk, rayon, etc, used esp for women's clothes
- (as modifier)a taffeta petticoat
- any of various similar fabrics
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Word Origin
C14: from Medieval Latin taffata, from Persian tāftah spun, from tāftan to spin
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
Word Origin and History for taffeta
n.
late 14c., from Old French taffetas (early 14c.), from Italian taffeta, ultimately from Persian taftah "silk or linen cloth," noun use of taftah, past participle of taftan "to shine," also "to twist, spin." Applied to different fabrics at different times (and cf. tapestry).
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper