damask

1 of 2

noun

dam·​ask ˈda-məsk How to pronounce damask (audio)
1
: a firm lustrous fabric (as of linen, cotton, silk, or rayon) made with flat patterns in a satin weave on a plain-woven ground on jacquard looms
2
: damascus steel
also : the characteristic markings of this steel
3
: a grayish red

damask

2 of 2

adjective

1
: made of or resembling damask
2
: of the color damask

Did you know?

Upon visiting the city of Damascus in 1867, Mark Twain wrote that “To Damascus, years are only moments, decades are only flitting trifles of time. She measures time not by days and months and years, but by the empires she has seen rise and prosper and crumble to ruin. She is a type of immortality.” Indeed, the city’s Arabic name comes from Dimašqa, a word so ancient that it suggests the origins of the city predate recorded history. The Medieval Latin name for the fabric famously associated with the “pearl of the East,” damascus, first entered Middle English as damaske in the 1300s and was later shortened to damask. That term has also been used in the intervening centuries for a type of steel, though neither the fabric nor the steel likely originated there.

Examples of damask in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Each curtain is a precious one-of-a-kind piece made exclusively from vintage fabrics sourced in France like antique damask. Sydney Gore, Architectural Digest, 29 Nov. 2024 Anthropologie Blossom Chinoiserie Mural 4/25 Anthropologie Blossom Chinoiserie Mural $278 Anthropologie Anthropologie’s curation of wallpaper includes sophisticated florals and chinoiserie, boho damasks, and truly unique geometrics. Sarah Madaus, Architectural Digest, 25 Oct. 2024
Adjective
One of the documents, according to Clarke, includes an inventory of all the fineries that were transferred to Tutbury when Mary left the Earl of Shrewsbury’s charge—a list that includes damask tablecloths and napkins, plates, bowls and basins. Brigit Katz, Smithsonian, 8 Jan. 2018 See all Example Sentences for damask 

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English damaske, from Medieval Latin damascus, from Damascus

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of damask was in the 14th century

Podcast

Dictionary Entries Near damask

Cite this Entry

“Damask.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/damask. Accessed 10 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

damask

noun
dam·​ask
ˈdam-əsk
1
: a firm shiny reversible fabric used especially for household linen
2
: a tough steel having decorative wavy lines
damask adjective
Etymology

Noun

Middle English damaske "damask," derived from Latin Damascus, city in Syria where the fabrics were originally made

More from Merriam-Webster on damask

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!