damask means of a grayish-pink colour, like that of the damask rose. Lexicurio rates it Rare gem — a strength score of 80 out of 100.
damask is pronounced /ˈdæm.əsk/.
Why “damask” is a great word
A rich, reversible, figured fabric, originally of silk, and the soft, grayed pink hue of the rose historically woven into it, with a name flowing from the Medieval Latin *damascus*, named for the city of Damascus where the textile was perfected. Unlike brocade, which raises its designs in textured, often metallic opulence, or the simple rose, which names the whole bright spectrum of the flower, damask achieves its pattern through light alone—a flat, satin-woven play of reflection and shadow. It is the cool sheen of a tablecloth in candlelight, the subtle blush of a winter sky at dawn, and the velvet whisper of a petal preserved in a heavy book—a testament to how the highest art often lies not in addition, but in sublime and quiet subtraction.
Etymology
From Middle English damaske, from Medieval Latin damascus, named after the city Damascus, where the fabric was originally made.
adj
- Of a grayish-pink colour, like that of the damask rose.“But let concealment, like a worm i' the bud, / Feed on her damask cheek”
- Relating to, or originating at, the city of Damascus.
noun
- An ornate silk fabric originating from Damascus.“True damasks are pure silk.”
- Linen so woven that a pattern is produced by the different directions of the thread, without contrast of colour.
- A heavy woolen or worsted stuff with a pattern woven in the same way as the linen damask; made for furniture covering and hangings.“Thus the red damask curtains which now shut out the fog-laden, drizzling atmosphere of the Marylebone Road, had cost a mere song, and yet they might have been warranted to last another thirty years. A great bargain also had been the excellent Axminster carpet which covered the floor; as, again, the arm-chair in which Bunting now sat forward, staring into the dull, small fire.”
- Damascus steel.
- The peculiar markings or water of such steel.
- A damask rose, Rosa × damascena.
verb
- To decorate or weave in damascene patterns“Madame de Mercœur had herself arranged her dress, which was splendid white silk, damasked with silver flowers; but it was with much internal misgiving that she put on the graceful cap and plume.”
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