swan's-downswansdownn.
/ˈswɒnzdaʊn/, U.S. /ˈswɑnzˌdaʊn/ 1. The down or soft under-plumage of the swan, used for dress-trimmings, powder-puffs, etc.
ΘΚΠ
society > occupation and work > materials > raw material > other animal raw materials > [noun] > feathers > type of feathers or down
swan's-downa1616
otter down1759
eiderdown1774
ostrich1842
a1616 W. Shakespeare Antony & Cleopatra (1623) iii. ii. 48 The Swannes downe feather That stands vpon the Swell at the full of Tide: And neither way inclines. View more context for this quotation
1807 S. Cooper First Lines Pract. Surg. I. i. xxvii. 146 Retaining a scirrhus in an equal temperature..by means of a piece of swan's down, or rabbit's skin.
1835 Court Mag. 6 p. xiv/2 Others have, in addition to the knots, a row of swansdown on each side of the front.
1855 H. W. Longfellow Hiawatha xvi. 220 With his plumes and tufts of swan's down.
1891 A. Conan Doyle White Company xxiii Swathed in swan's-down and in ermine.
2. (a) A soft thick close woollen cloth. (b) A thick cotton cloth with a nap on one side, also called Canton or cotton flannel.
ΘΚΠ
the world > textiles and clothing > textiles > textile fabric or an article of textile fabric > textile fabric > textile fabric made from specific material > cotton > [noun] > with nap
swan's-down1801
Turkish towel1862
grebe-cloth1882
winceyette1922
the world > textiles and clothing > textiles > textile fabric or an article of textile fabric > textile fabric > textile fabric made from specific material > made from wool > [noun] > heavy or thick
carpet1345
carpet-cloth1615
swan's-down1801
mackinaw1841
Petersham cloth1853
the world > textiles and clothing > textiles > textile fabric or an article of textile fabric > textile fabric > textile fabric made from specific material > cotton > [noun] > with nap > cotton plush
swan's-down1801
cotton flannel1845
Canton flannel1860
1801 Sporting Mag. 17 177 The blankets of the finest swansdown.
1823 W. Scott St. Ronan's Well II. ii. 33 If a gold-laced waistcoat has an empty pouch, the plain swan's-down will be the brawer of the twa.
1877 J. W. Hayes Draper & Haberdasher (ed. 4) 97 Swansdown is a loose thick make of white and unbleached calico, with a raised surface, like blankets.
1883 P. L. Simmonds Commerc. Dict. Trade Products (rev. ed.) Suppl. Swandown, a kind of twilled fustian, like moleskin.
3. attributive (in sense 1 or sense 2).
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1798 Hull Advertiser 13 Oct. 2/2 Swansdown stocks.
1803 Censor 1 Apr. 46 A common swandown waistcoat.
1858 P. L. Simmonds Dict. Trade Products 368/2 Their skins enter into commerce for swans'-down trimmings.
1867 R. Hunt Ure's Dict. Arts (ed. 6) III. 858 500,000 puffs, made annually from about 7000 swans' down skins, imported into Britain.
1876 M. M. Grant Sun-maid I. vii. 218 He wrapped her closely in her swansdown mantle.
1885 Encycl. Brit. XVIII. 829/2 It is filtered through chamois leather or swansdown calico.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1918; most recently modified version published online June 2022).
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n.a1616