tulle
Meaning
a soft, fine net material made from silk, nylon, or rayon, used especially for making veils and dresses.
Usage
the bride's veil was made of delicate silk tulle.
the ballerina's tutu was crafted from layers of stiff nylon tulle.
she chose a dress with a tulle skirt for the gala.
Etymology
The word 'tulle' is a toponym, borrowed directly from French in the early 19th century. It is named after the city of tulle in southern France, which was a notable early center for the manufacture of this specific type of fine net fabric. The term entered English to denote the product itself, following a common pattern where a place name becomes associated with a distinctive good produced there. As a borrowed simplex, its meaning is not derived from the combination of smaller meaningful parts within English.
Analysis
This is a loanword adopted as a simplex unit from French.