muslin
UK[ˈmʌzlɪn]US[ˈmʌzlɪn]
n
A very thin, light cotton cloth
Etymology
The word 'muslin' entered English in the early 17th century, named after the city of Mosul in modern-day Iraq, where the fabric was originally manufactured and traded to Europe. The name passed through several languages: from Arabic 'al-Mawṣilī' (meaning 'of Mosul'), into Italian as 'mussolina', and then French as 'mousseline', before being adopted into English. The term's journey is a direct example of a toponym, where a geographical place name becomes the standard term for a product associated with that region. Its meaning has remained consistently tied to a type of lightweight cotton fabric, though its production center has long shifted from its namesake city.
Analysis
The word is a simplex loanword. It does not contain separable morphemes within modern English spelling.
Examples
The dress was made from a soft, breathable white muslin.
She used muslin cloth to strain the homemade yogurt.
The designer created a prototype, or a "muslin," of the gown before cutting the final silk.