Etymologically
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damask

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 13 October 2026 at 03:52. This address is a permanent link to this version.
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Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ˈdæm.əsk/[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle English damaske,[2][3] from Medieval Latin damascus,[4][2][5] from the name of Latin Damascus,[3][4][6][2][5] the city in Syria famous for its steel and silk fabrics,[4][5] from Greek Damaskós.[3][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

The city of Damascus (about 1250).[7][4][6]

Semantic evolution

As the name of a fabric, “cloth from Damascus”, the word dates from the late 14th century.[6][4] It was used of Damascus steel and its wavy pattern[3][2][5] and, from the damask rose, of a pink colour (about 1600).[6][5] The verb meaning to weave with rich patterns is from 1599.[7]

Timeline

  • about 1250 – Damascus.[7][4][6]
  • 1378 – a richly patterned silk.[4][6]
  • about 1540 – damask rose.[7]
  • 1585 – verb, to damascene.[7]
  • about 1600 – a pink colour.[6]
  • 1640s – adjective, woven with figures.[6]

Modern meaning

Noun

  1. A rich reversible fabric of silk, linen, cotton or wool, woven with patterns.
  2. Fine twilled table linen.
  3. Damascus steel, or the wavy pattern on it.
  4. A greyish-pink or grey-red colour, like that of the damask rose.

Verb

  1. To decorate metal in the Damascus style; to damascene.
  2. To weave or adorn with rich patterns.

Adjective

  1. Made of or like damask.
  2. Of the colour damask.

Word family

  • damascene
  • damask rose
  • damson

References

  1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (2003), 11th ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  3. ^ a b c d The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1992), 3rd ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h Barnhart, Robert K., ed. (1995), The Barnhart Concise Dictionary of Etymology, New York: HarperCollins
  5. ^ a b c d e Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (1999), 2nd ed., New York: Random House
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  7. ^ a b c d e Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press