chintz
/tʃɪn(t)s
/noun [mass noun]
Printed multicoloured cotton fabric with a glazed finish, used for curtains and upholstery: [as modifier]: floral chintz curtains...
- In addition, ‘Tropiques,’ a polyester/cotton printed chintz, is going into more bedding and draperies.
- Fabrics varied, and included calendared or glazed fabrics of wool, plain or floral printed calicos and muslins, and glazed chintz monochrome or polychrome prints.
- Typical of fine Indian chintz, the cotton is not printed, but mordant-painted and resistdyed.
Origin
Early 17th century (as chints, plural of chint, denoting a stained or painted calico cloth imported from India): from Hindi chīṃṭ 'spattering, stain'.
Chintz was originally a painted or stained calico, imported from India. The source was the Hindi word chīmt, literally ‘spattering, stain’, which in English became chint. The plural of this unfamiliar word, being more frequently used, came over time to be mistaken for a singular and written chints and eventually chintz. The related word chintzy (mid 19th century) means ‘resembling or decorated with chintz’ in British English, but in America means both ‘cheap and of poor quality’ and ‘miserly, mean’.