tussah

or tus·seh

[ tuhs-uh ]

noun

1. a tan silk from India. Compare Shantung ( def 2a ).
2. the silkworm of an oriental moth of the genus Antheraea, as A. mylitta, that produces this silk.

Word History and Origins

Origin of tussah¹

1580–90; earlier tusser < Hindi tasar shuttle < Sanskrit tasara, trasara kind of silkworm

Example Sentences

But give 13-year-old Tussah Heera credit: How would you do on national television if you were asked to spell “herniorrhaphy”?

From The Daily Beast

The silk produced by the wild worms of China and India is called “tussah” (or “tussur”).

From Project Gutenberg

The China silk was dissolved by this reagent; Tussah silk and the lustra-celluloses entirely resisted its action.

From Project Gutenberg

Over this is placed one braid of tussah silk and an outer braid of cotton.

From Project Gutenberg

Bengal has furnished the Tussah moth, which lives in India on the oak and a variety of other trees.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• fiber
• taffeta
• thread
• tulle