Madrasn.
/məˈdras/, /məˈdrɑːs/, U.S. /ˈmædrəs/, /məˈdræs/, /məˈdrɑs/ I. Compounds.† 5. Madras stucco n. Obsolete = chunam n.
1. General attributive. Of or relating to Madras; spec. designating things made in or associated with Madras, as Madras chintz, Madras chunam, Madras goods, or made from the fabric Madras (see sense 8), as Madras jacket, Madras shirt.
ΚΠ
1680 Ft. St. George Consultations (1872) 17 Payment or receipt of Batta or Vatum upon the exchange of Pollicat for Madras pagodas prohibited.
1700 Philos. Trans. (Royal Soc.) 22 581 Madrass Flower-Fence, with membranaceous pods.
1766 T. Brooks Authentick Acct. Coins E. Indies 6 1 Madrass Rupee..is Country Touch 97/ 8. China Touch 983/ 4.
1804 Sydney Gaz. 17 June 1/3 Exposed to Inspection and Sale... English Cotton and Chintzes Madras ditto ditto Calico and Long-cloth.
1822 Sat. Evening Post (Philadelphia) 26 Oct. 3/5 Package sale of Madras goods..40 bales Madras Goods, as follows:- Comboys,..Niccanees, Succatoons, Mooreas, Salempores.
a1827 W. Hickey Mem. (1960) vi. 91 The bed and curtains of the richest Madras chintz.
1827 Trinidad Guardian 2 Oct. No for you me bin buy Madras grand?
1856 J. W. Cole Mem. Brit. Gen. Penins. War I. ii. 71 He was superseded..by a ‘political’, who..involved him in a carte and tierce correspondence with the Madras officials.
1898 Murray's Handbk. India (ed. 3) p. xvi Railway time throughout India is Madras time... Karachi time is 52 min. behind railway time... Allahabad [time is] 7 min. before railway time.
1918 Chicago Tribune 12 May g5/5 I had on..my O. D. sweat shirt over my Gaberdine breeches..and a madras shirt.
1954 M. A. Pei & F. Gaynor Dict. Linguistics 155 Oriya, an Indic language (also called Odri) spoken in Orissa, Bihar, Bengal, the eastern regions of the Central Provinces and in the northern part of the Madras Presidency, by a total of about 13,000,000 native speakers.
1962 L. Deighton Ipcress File xxviii. 177 A bright Madras jacket.
1968 H. Waugh Con Game iii. 34 Three pairs of men's shoes and one wrinkled Madras jacket.
1976 Asia Mag. 14 Nov. 32 The interior walls of the cathedral were coated with madras chunam, a composition of egg-white & lime-paste.
1987 F. Flagg Fried Green Tomatoes 41 Her crowd had been the crew-cut, button-down madras shirt and pressed khakis for boys, and Ship 'n Shore blouses with circle pins for girls set.
2004 J. Abboud & E. Stern Threads (2005) vii. 55 On went my madras jacket, and suddenly I was president of the ninth grade at Washington Irving Junior High.
2.
a. Madras handkerchief n. (also Madras kerchief) a brightly coloured handkerchief of silk and cotton, formerly often worn as a turban in the Caribbean and elsewhere.
ΘΚΠ
the world > textiles and clothing > clothing > types or styles of clothing > headgear > [noun] > head-cloth or -scarf > types of
volet1399
night-coverchiefa1427
night-kerchief?c1450
night-kercher1552
shade1706
fala1721
teresa1770
bird's eye?1775
doek1798
Madras handkerchief1808
Madras turban1818
keffiyeh1831
Madras1838
turban1839
rigolette1859
charshaf1926
babushka1937
do-rag1964
1808 Monthly Anthol. & Boston Rev. July 386/1 The same slave, she added,..saved all my Madras handkerchiefs.
1881 G. W. Cable Mme. Delphine 97 Old Charlie..was sitting on his bench under a China-tree, his head, as was his fashion, bound in a Madras handkerchief.
1965 ‘S. d'Estrée’ tr. ‘P. Réage’ Story of O iii. 134 O could not take her eyes off the twin points of her Madras kerchief and..off her thin, swarthy hand.
2005 J. Baumgold Diamond iii. 189 Over her head she wore a red Madras kerchief tied in the Creole style.
b. Madras turban n. now chiefly historical a madras handkerchief worn as a headdress (see quot. 2001).
ΘΚΠ
the world > textiles and clothing > clothing > types or styles of clothing > headgear > [noun] > head-cloth or -scarf > types of
volet1399
night-coverchiefa1427
night-kerchief?c1450
night-kercher1552
shade1706
fala1721
teresa1770
bird's eye?1775
doek1798
Madras handkerchief1808
Madras turban1818
keffiyeh1831
Madras1838
turban1839
rigolette1859
charshaf1926
babushka1937
do-rag1964
1818 La Belle Assemblée Sept. 85/2 A lighter kind of Madras turban, worn as a home costume, is an improvement of a fashion that has lasted much longer than we predicted.
1888 G. W. Cable Au Large in Bonaventure i. 146 A black woman in..red-and-yellow Madras turban..crouched against the wall.
1937 C. W. Cunningham Eng. Women's Clothing 19th Cent. ii. 64/1 Madras turbans, of Madras handkerchiefs, blue and orange.
2001 www.indiaprofile.com 14 Dec. (O.E.D. Archive) A ‘madras’ turban consisted of a silk or cotton scarf, patterned in bright colours such as blue and orange, tied like a bandanna and fastened with a flower or brooch on the top, left hand side.
3.
a. Madras muslin n. (also Madras net muslin) a type of muslin used esp. as a ground for embroidery.
ΘΚΠ
the world > textiles and clothing > textiles > textile fabric or an article of textile fabric > textile fabric > textile fabric made from specific material > cotton > [noun] > fine, light, or delicate > muslin > Indian
beteela1598
moree1625
adatis1653
doria1696
terrindam1706
India muslin1716
alliballie1718
gurrah1727
tanzib1728
nainsook1790
Madras muslin1827
percale1840
Madras1902
1827 Ladies' Monthly Museum Aug. 109 A dress of clear Madras muslin worn over a white satin slip.
1881 C. C. Harrison Woman's Handiwork Mod. Homes i. 49 Among other washing fabrics used in art needlework are crash, roller-towelling,..cheese-cloth, strainer cloth, muslin, India mull and Madras muslin.
1882 S. F. A. Caulfeild & B. C. Saward Dict. Needlework 339/2 Madras-net Muslin. This is a handsome, but coarse make of Muslin, produced in several varieties..They are all 72 inches wide.
1895 Army & Navy Co-op. Soc. Price List 1105/1 Frilled Madras Muslin.
1903 G. Bell Let. 2 Feb. (1927) I. 156 I got two lovely gowns of Madras muslin, embroidered from the foot to the knee, for 23 rupees.
1992 N. Chaudhuri in N. Chaudhuri & M. Strobel Western Women & Imperialism 235 Fashionable women of the era wore dresses that draped softly, for which they often admired very light-weight Delhi or Madras muslin and tussore silk.
2009 M. Malamud Anc. Rome & Mod. Amer. vi. 172 The author recommended Madras muslin for experimenting because it was soft, thin, and supple.
b. Madras gingham n. = sense 8.
ΘΚΠ
the world > textiles and clothing > textiles > textile fabric or an article of textile fabric > textile fabric > textile fabric made from specific material > cotton > [noun] > coloured, patterned, or printed > specific
pintadoa1575
Salempore1598
chintz1614
nankeenc1700
caffa1701
jamwar1721
nankinett1794
purdah1813
zephyr1819
nankeening1830
calico1841
permanent1854
galatea1874
Madras gingham1880
Turkey red1880
Madras1897
shadow cretonne1932
shadow stripe1932
1880 Peterson's Mag. May 391/1 Sixteen to eighteen yards of grenadine will be required. This model will also serve for making up a pretty striped Madras gingham.
1915 L. Harmuth Dict. Textiles 71/1 The madras gingham is made of finer count of yarn and a larger number of colors is used in the same pattern than in the staple gingham.
1942 J. Hoye Staple Cotton Fabrics vii. 148 When made in fancy weaves and of fine yarns, they are known as Madras ginghams.
2011 E. J. Lewandowski Compl. Costume Dict. App. C. 501 Madras gingham, madras turban, Maintenon cloak.
c. Madras lace n. a type of bobbin lace produced in the area of Madras during the 19th cent., but following European styles (esp. those of Maltese lace).
ΘΚΠ
the world > textiles and clothing > textiles > textile fabric or an article of textile fabric > textile fabric > textile fabric manufactured in specific way > [noun] > consisting of loops or looped stitches > lace > pillow or bobbin
bonework1556
bone lace1564
bobbin-work1681
pillow lace1815
Madras lace1882
point1882
bobbin-lace-
1882 S. F. A. Caulfeild & B. C. Saward Dict. Needlework 339/2 Madras Lace. A school for lace making has lately been founded in Madras. The lace made is the black and white silk Maltese Guipure.
1896 G. W. Bible & G. P. Bible Pocket Dict. Dry-goods 165 Madras lace, a kind of curtain material, sometimes printed in colors.
2004 Old House Interiors July 4 /1 (advt.) Renaissance Madras Lace Panel. Nottingham and Madras Lace Curtains.
4. Madras curry n. a hot curry dish traditionally associated with Madras, containing chicken, meat, or fish in a vegetable sauce.
ΘΚΠ
the world > food and drink > food > dishes and prepared food > food by way of preparation > [noun] > highly seasoned dish > specific
country captain1827
Madras curry1840
masala1943
Madras1959
mirch masala1967
Ruby Murray1983
ruby1984
1840 Mag. Domest. Econ. Mar. 283 (heading) To make a Madras curry.
1870 ‘P.O.P’ Nabob's Cookery Bk. 10 (heading) A Madras currie.
1891 Girl's Own Paper 11 Apr. 440/1 Madras curry. Take three large onions, slice and fry them in butter. Then fry your meat in the same pan, first taking out the onions. Stir into a pint of well-seasoned gravy—two large spoonfuls of curry powder, a little sour apple, and a little salt.
1914 ‘Saki’ Beasts & Super-beasts 117 Your great-aunt Adelaide..was a charming woman..but somehow she always reminded me of an English cook's idea of a Madras curry.
1990 W. Perriam Fifty-minute Hour (1991) i. 13 Albert Henry Basing would not have liked the litter, nor..the launderette which smells of Madras curry.
2006 L. Collingham Curry v. 107 (heading) Madras curry: the British invention of curry.
ΘΚΠ
society > occupation and work > materials > derived or manufactured material > plaster > [noun] > other kinds of plaster
lime-slab1608
roughcast1609
lime and hair1626
parge1649
chunam1687
impastation1728
stuff1812
mastic paint1839
parget1842
Parian cement1858
Madras stucco1859
Keene's cement1869
gatch1886
Parian1886
1859 E. B. Eastwick Handbk. for India I. i. 23/2 The Madras stucco, or chunam, has been most skilfully applied in the interior of the church.
1864 Chambers's Encycl. VI. 251/1 Madras stucco, or chunam, is largely employed in the decoration of public buildings.
1894 Handbk. Travellers India, Ceylon & Burma (ed. 2) 340/2 The Madras stucco, or chunam, in the interior gives to the pillars all the whiteness and polish of the finest marble.
6. Madras work n. a style of all-over embroidery applied to Madras handkerchiefs, screens, etc. Cf. all-over adj. 1b. Now historical.
ΘΚΠ
the world > textiles and clothing > textiles > textile fabric or an article of textile fabric > sewn or ornamented textile fabric > [noun] > embroidery or ornamental sewing
broidery1382
browdingc1386
broideringa1450
broudur1470
bruserya1522
prickinga1527
orphany?1553
embroidery?1577
brede1644
braiding1831
stitch-work1848
Madras work1865
Madeira lace1882
Madeira work1882
paraffle1911
1865 Brit. Almanac (Companion Suppl.) i. 20 Of embroidery..the most admirable are those in floss silks of colours from Sind; the Madras work with the beetle-wing introduced into the design, [etc.].
1882 S. F. A. Caulfeild & B. C. Saward Dict. Needlework 339/2 Madras Work. This work is so called from its being executed upon the brightly coloured silk handkerchiefs that are known as Madras handkerchiefs.
1896 G. W. Bible & D. P. Bible Pocket Dict. Dry-goods 165 Madras work, simple embroidery upon bright-colored Madras handkerchiefs, furniture-coverings, banner-screens, etc. The art of embroidering muslin, silk or cloth.
1905 Womanhood Oct. 285/1 Yards of beautiful satin embroidery from Delhi, and Madras work with gold threads and beetlewings.
2011 E. J. Lewandowski Compl. Costume Dict. 182/1 Madras work, embroidery on bright silk handkerchiefs.
II. Simple uses.
7. Short for Madras handkerchief n. at sense 2a.
ΘΚΠ
the world > textiles and clothing > clothing > types or styles of clothing > headgear > [noun] > head-cloth or -scarf > types of
volet1399
night-coverchiefa1427
night-kerchief?c1450
night-kercher1552
shade1706
fala1721
teresa1770
bird's eye?1775
doek1798
Madras handkerchief1808
Madras turban1818
keffiyeh1831
Madras1838
turban1839
rigolette1859
charshaf1926
babushka1937
do-rag1964
1838 E. L. Joseph Hist. Trinidad iii. 10 They were a jupe, of a colour to match with their Madras.
1859 H. B. Stowe Minister's Wooing xi Candace..donned the brilliant Madras which James had lately given her.
1890 L. Hearn Two Years in French W. Indies 216 The making-up of the Madras into a turban is called ‘tying a head’.
1988 J. D. Elder Afr. Survivals in Trinidad & Tobago 103 A tie-head known in Nigeria has persisted among Trinidad and Tobago women. It goes under other names, e.g., tete-marlin, madrasse, daizen.
8. A cotton fabric with brightly coloured or white stripes, checks, etc., originally produced in Madras.
ΘΚΠ
the world > textiles and clothing > textiles > textile fabric or an article of textile fabric > textile fabric > textile fabric made from specific material > cotton > [noun] > coloured, patterned, or printed > specific
pintadoa1575
Salempore1598
chintz1614
nankeenc1700
caffa1701
jamwar1721
nankinett1794
purdah1813
zephyr1819
nankeening1830
calico1841
permanent1854
galatea1874
Madras gingham1880
Turkey red1880
Madras1897
shadow cretonne1932
shadow stripe1932
1897 Sears, Roebuck Catal. No. 104. 216/3 French Madras is a fine soft finished fabric with the colors woven through... Light colors, plaids or stripes.
1921 Daily Colonist (Victoria, Brit. Columbia) 22 Oct. 7/2 (advt.) 50-Inch Colored Madras at $1.50 a Yard..this Madras will make beautiful side curtains.
1964 N. Hollen & J. Saddler Textiles (ed. 2) 153/2 The imported Indian madras, today, is handwoven with white warp and colored filling ‘guaranteed to bleed’.
a1969 J. K. Toole Confederacy of Dunces (1981) xii. 270 Herringbones and madras and lamb's wool and cashmere flashed past in a blur.
2009 F. Barthelme Waveland xx. 189 His shirt was madras... He hadn't seen a madras shirt in some time, though he was aware madras had made it back into style a few years before.
9. Short for Madras muslin n. at sense 3a. rare.
ΘΚΠ
the world > textiles and clothing > textiles > textile fabric or an article of textile fabric > textile fabric > textile fabric made from specific material > cotton > [noun] > fine, light, or delicate > muslin > Indian
beteela1598
moree1625
adatis1653
doria1696
terrindam1706
India muslin1716
alliballie1718
gurrah1727
tanzib1728
nainsook1790
Madras muslin1827
percale1840
Madras1902
1902 Westm. Gaz. 27 Aug. 8/1 The shirt, a fine madras, plaited négligé with square point narrow link cuffs.
10. Short for Madras curry n. at sense 4; (also) the curry paste used to flavour this dish. Frequently as postmodifier.
ΘΚΠ
the world > food and drink > food > dishes and prepared food > food by way of preparation > [adjective] > specific highly seasoned dish
ragouted1755
masala1780
Madras1959
the world > food and drink > food > dishes and prepared food > food by way of preparation > [noun] > highly seasoned dish > specific
country captain1827
Madras curry1840
masala1943
Madras1959
mirch masala1967
Ruby Murray1983
ruby1984
1959 Good Food Guide 316 Curried chicken Madras with poppadoms and Bombay duck.
1982 A. Barr & P. York Official Sloane Ranger Handbk. 27/1 His macho-masochisms decree that he must order the hottest Vindaloo, Madras, or even Bangalore Phal.
2003 N. Slater Toast 36 ‘I'll just have the Bombay Duck,’ I say timidly. It sounds exotic, even more so than chicken Madras.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, March 2000; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
<
n.1680