repp
UK[rɛp]US[rɛp]
n
A heavy, ribbed fabric, typically made of silk, wool, or cotton, used especially for upholstery and curtains.
Etymology
The word 'repp' (also spelled 'rep') entered English in the mid-19th century as a borrowing from the French word 'reps'. The French term is believed to be an alteration of the English word 'rib', a reference to the fabric's distinctive corded surface. This French term itself may have origins in 'ribbes', a plural form from a Germanic language. The etymological journey thus illustrates a cross-Channel exchange where a descriptive English term for a textured surface was adapted into French and then re-borrowed back into English in a modified form to name a specific textile.
Analysis
This word is a simplex loanword. Its spelling and form were borrowed directly from French.
Examples
The classic armchairs were upholstered in a durable navy repp.
She chose heavy wool repp for the draperies to block out the light.
The fabric store had a sample book featuring various colors of silk repp.