zibeline

noun

zib·e·line | \ˈzi-bə-ˌlēn,

-ˌlīn\

variants: or zibelline

Definition of zibeline

: a soft lustrous wool fabric with mohair, alpaca, or camel's hair

Did You Know?

Though zibeline is woven from the hair of alpacas, camels, or Angora goats, its name actually traces back to a Slavic word for the sable, a small mammal related to the weasel. The Slavic term was adopted into Old Italian, and from there it passed to Middle French, then on to English in the late 1500s. English "zibeline" originally referred to the sable or its fur, but in the late 19th century it developed a second sense, applying to a soft, smooth, slightly furry material woven from a mixture of animal hairs. It's especially suited to women's suits and coats, or, as a fashion columnist in the December 6, 1894 issue of Vogue observed, "Zibeline . . . makes an exceedingly pretty, warm theatre cloak, not too fine to be crushed into the small one-chair space."

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More about zibeline

Listen to Our Podcast about zibeline

Theme music by Joshua Stamper ©2006 New Jerusalem Music/ASCAP

Dictionary Entries near zibeline

Statistics for zibeline

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for zibeline

The first known use of zibeline was in 1873

See more words from the same year

WORD OF THE DAY

tergiversation

evasion of direct action or statement

Test Your Vocabulary

Great Scrabble Words—A Quiz

Which of the following Q-without-U words means the number five in cards or dice?

How Strong Is Your Vocabulary?

Test your vocabulary with our 10-question quiz!

TAKE THE QUIZ

Word Winder's CrossWinder

Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games