Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A ribbed fabric of silk, rayon, wool, or cotton, used in making clothing and upholstery.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun A fabric having a silk warp and a weft of wool heavier than the silk, which gives it a corded surface somewhat resembling that of rep.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun A fabric of many varieties, usually made of silk and worsted, -- used especially for women's dresses.
  • noun a fabric with silk warp and worsted weft, made in Ireland.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun A fabric of many varieties, usually made of silk and worsted, -- used especially for women's dresses.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun a ribbed fabric used in clothing and upholstery

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Obsolete French papeline, perhaps from Provençal papalino, feminine of papalin, papal (so called because it was first made at the papal town of Avignon), from Medieval Latin pāpālis, from Late Latin pāpa, pope; see pope.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

An alteration (taken as related to Pope) of French papeline, a distortion of Poperinge, a town in Flanders which was a centre for textile production.

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Examples

  • The ususal fabric here is a poly-cotton "poplin" but I just cannot go that route in this heat and during the 'Pause!

    Where Do Fat Girls Shop? PeaceBang 2006

  • Designer Michael Bastian 's spring 2011 runway show featured plaid shirts in poplin, worn with suits and ties, instead of rugged shirts with jeans or chinos and work boots.

    Why Fashion Can't Break Its Plaid Habit Ray A. Smith 2011

  • At the former, both a track jacket and a longer, tailored wool coat come with a quilted poplin vest that can be worn independently.

    Action Figures Darrell Hartman 2011

  • "I wanted to dress my woman earlier in the day," she said, say in the white poplin shirt-dresses she presented.

    Resort Wear from Luxe to Laid Back Ray A. Smith 2011

  • Studio Communications A white and brown poplin dress shirt from Hamilton's new ready-to-wear line, available Aug. 29 at select Neiman Marcus stores $265, 713-780-8222.

    A Storied Houston Shirtmaker 2011

  • It may be that the industry has reached a leveling-off point at which improvements in garments are so incremental that they're not worth the added cost, unless one is willing to drift into the realm of couture or the world of Chado Ralph Rucci where even a cotton poplin dress can set one back several thousand dollars -- but looks like it's worth a million bucks.

    Olivier Theyskens's Theory of relativity: High standards at a lower price Robin Givhan 2010

  • That caveat being - they must in fact be khaki, and not cotton poplin or chino, they must be dark beige and a heavier weight than simply cotton pants.

    I get email... Reader Tim challenges me with "Khaki" - dfi 2009

  • Between the no-frills shirtdresses in starched white poplin and the sharp pantsuits that were just fashion forward enough, there was plenty for the corporate woman to choose from.

    Luxury Is A La Mode At Celine, Galliano, Givenchy & Akris (PHOTOS) Hilary Moss 2010

  • Diane von Furstenberg Ms. von Furstenberg added sporty elements such as shiny poplin leggings that recall cycling shorts.

    Resort Fashions Celebrate Leisure 2011

  • Between the no-frills shirtdresses in starched white poplin and the sharp pantsuits that were just fashion forward enough, there was plenty for the corporate woman to choose from.

    Luxury Is A La Mode At Celine, Galliano, Givenchy & Akris (PHOTOS) Hilary Moss 2010

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