cashmere

cash·mere

noun \ˈkazh-ˌmir, ˈkash-\

: fine wool from a kind of goat from India

: a soft fabric made from cashmere wool

Full Definition of CASHMERE

1

:  fine wool from the undercoat of the cashmere goat; also :  a yarn of this wool

2

:  a soft twilled fabric made originally from cashmere

Origin of CASHMERE

Cashmere (Kashmir)

First Known Use: 1684

Rhymes with CASHMERE

adhere, Aesir, Ajmer, all clear, ambeer, appear, arrear, Asir, Ayrshire, besmear, by ear, Cape Fear, career, cashier, Cheshire, chimere, clavier, cohere, compeer, destrier, dog-ear, emir, Empire, endear, ensphere, eyrir, Fafnir, footgear, frontier, gambier, Goodyear, headgear, inhere, Izmir, Kashmir, kefir, killdeer, Landseer, leap year, life peer, light-year, man-year, menhir, midyear, mishear, monsieur, mouse-ear, mule deer, musk deer, nadir, near beer, New Year, off year, out-year, pickeer, portiere, premier, premiere, red deer, redear, rehear, reindeer, revere, revers, Robespierre, roe deer, root beer, santir, severe, Shakespeare, sincere, slick-ear, small beer, spruce beer, steer clear, Tangier, tapir, tin ear, uprear, Vanir, veneer, Vermeer, vizier, voir dire, wheatear, Wiltshire, wind shear, wood ear, worm gear, Ymir, Yorkshire, zaire, Zaire

Cashmere

geographical name

Definition of CASHMERE

— see kashmir

cashmere

noun    (Concise Encyclopedia)

Animal-hair fibre forming the downy undercoat of the Kashmir goat. The fibre became known for its use in beautiful shawls and other handmade items produced in Kashmir, India. The fibres have diameters finer than those of the best wools. Natural colour is usually gray or tan but ranges from white to black. Cashmere fabric is warm and comfortable and has excellent draping qualities and soft texture; it is used mainly for fine coat, dress, and suit fabrics and for high-quality knitwear and hosiery. A sweater requires the fleece of 4–6 goats; an overcoat uses that of 30–40. Because world production is small and gathering and processing are costly, cashmere is a luxury fibre.