baize
UK[beɪz]US[beɪz]
n
A thick, soft, usually green woolen cloth, used especially for covering billiard and card tables.
Etymology
The word 'baize' entered English in the late 16th century, derived from the French plural 'baies', meaning "baize cloths." This French term is itself a feminine plural form of 'bai', meaning "chestnut-colored" or "bay." The connection lies in the cloth's original typical color. The ultimate origin is the Latin 'badius', meaning "reddish-brown" or "bay-colored," which describes the hue of a horse's coat. Thus, the modern term for a specific type of fabric retains a trace of its history in its name, originally denoting its characteristic color.
Analysis
This word is a simplex loanword. It does not contain separable, meaningful morphemes within its modern English spelling.
Examples
The old billiard table was recovered with fresh green baize.
She lined the jewelry box with a piece of soft red baize.
The casino's card tables all had the same distinctive felt-like baize.