grass linenadj.n.
/ˈɡrɑːs lɪnᵻn/, /ˈɡras lɪnᵻn/, U.S. /ˈɡræs ˌlɪnᵻn/ A. adj. (attributive).
Made of grass linen (see sense B.).
ΘΚΠ
the world > textiles and clothing > textiles > textile fabric or an article of textile fabric > textile fabric > textile fabric made from specific material > made from other vegetable fibres > [adjective]
sedgeda1616
wickered1725
grass linen1821
grass cloth1823
pandanus1898
randed1907
1821 Providence (Rhode Island) Patriot 2 May (advt.) Lost,..a new grass linen Handkerchief, with the owner's name on it.
1958 Bull. Museum Fine Arts 51 36 Grass linen, lace-trimmed petticoat, second half nineteenth century.
2011 @vintagemistress 11 Apr. in twitter.com (O.E.D. Archive) Vintage 1980s New Grass Linen Day Dress.
B. n.
A fine, light linen-like cloth originally made in China and plain woven from ramie or other strong plant fibres; = grass cloth n. (a).
ΘΚΠ
the world > textiles and clothing > textiles > textile fabric or an article of textile fabric > textile fabric > textile fabric made from specific material > made from other vegetable fibres > [noun] > made from grass-cloth plant
herba1599
grass cloth1638
grass linen1825
toile de Chine1843
1825 Daily National Intelligencer (Washington) 30 Mar. (advt.) India Grass Linen for Ladies' Bonnets.
1866 A. D. Whitney Summer in Leslie Goldthwaite's Life viii, in Our Young People Aug. 471 A strip of sheer, delicate grass-linen, which needle and thread..were turning into a cobweb border.
1912 Dry Goods Economist 17 Feb. 10/1 He brought out some smart looking dresses and suits made of sheerest grass linen.
1965 Mem. Soc. Amer. Archaeol. No. 19. 46/1 Commercial production of linen and grass linen is expensive because the fibers must be kept parallel.
2018 China Daily (Nexis) 25 Aug. Grass linen is popular for its natural resistance to bacteria, durability and permeability, which keeps the body cool in summer.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, March 2019; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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adj.n.1821