damask

[ dam-uhsk ]

noun

1. a reversible fabric of linen, silk, cotton, or wool, woven with patterns.
2. napery of this material.
3. Metallurgy.
   1. Also called damask steel. Damascus steel.
   2. the pattern or wavy appearance peculiar to the surface of such steel.
4. the pink color of the damask rose.

adjective

1. made of or resembling damask:

   damask cloth.

2. of the pink color of the damask rose.

verb (used with object)

1. to damascene.
2. to weave or adorn with elaborate design, as damask cloth.

damask

/ ˈdæməsk /

noun

1. 1. a reversible fabric, usually silk or linen, with a pattern woven into it. It is used for table linen, curtains, etc
   2. table linen made from this
   3. ( as modifier )

      a damask tablecloth

2. short for Damascus steel
3. the wavy markings on such steel
4. 1. the greyish-pink colour of the damask rose
   2. ( as adjective )

      damask wallpaper

verb

1. tr another word for damascene

Other Words From

• un·dam·asked adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of damask¹

1200–50; Middle English damaske < Medieval Latin damascus, named after Damascus where fabrics were first made

Word History and Origins

Origin of damask¹

C14: from Medieval Latin damascus, from Damascus, where this fabric was originally made

Example Sentences

Upstairs, the silk damask draperies, crystal chandeliers and sumptuous beds feel opulent and the rooms are simply huge.

From Seattle Times

“Life and death and bloodlines and damask. Wonderful,” wrote Jonathan Foyle, a British academic, on social media.

From New York Times

We looked around the gentlemen’s smoking room to see if a cat’s eyes glowed from under the furniture, behind the damask drapes.

From Literature

Peeters’s “Still Life with Crabs, Shrimps and Lobsters” purportedly contains religious references, depicting foods allowed during the Lenten season as well as a scene of Abraham’s sacrifice of Isaac woven into the blue damask tablecloth.

From Salon

According to one biography of Martha Washington, “Pieces of fabric cut from her dresses and passed down through the family as mementos are a beautiful assortment of lampas and damask silks—white with red and pink roses, pale ivory with narrow ivory stripes and delicate bouquets.”

From Literature

Related Words

• bedding
• cloth
• lingerie