nainsook
/ˈneɪnsʊk
/noun [mass noun]
A fine, soft cotton fabric, originally from South Asia.For an undergarment of this style, nainsook, batiste, long-cloth and cambric are the best materials....
- Nainsook and lawn were made in extra fine, fine and regular cottons with the extra fine nainsook having a silk finish.
- This fabric dates back to seventeenth century India when it was sometimes called nansook, nyansook or nainsook and was thought to give ‘pleasure to the eye’.
Origin
Late 18th century: from Hindi nainsukh, from nain 'eye' + sukh 'pleasure'.