pongee
/pʌnˈdʒiː
/ /pɒnˈdʒiː/noun [mass noun]
A soft, unbleached type of Chinese fabric, originally made from threads of raw silk and now also other fibres such as cotton which are usually mercerized: [as modifier]: pongee blouses...
- It is made with pongee nylon for less creasing of the fabric, it has a hexagon shaft for added durability, and a polished wooden handle.
- Moore wrote that she ‘is tall and has dark hair and eyes and wears queer shades of blue silk and pongees and Boston shoes and hand made watch-chains and pins etc.’
Origin
Early 18th century: from Chinese (Mandarin dialect) bĕnjī literally 'own loom' or běnzhī literally 'home-woven'.