fustian
noun /ˈfʌstiən/
/ˈfʌstʃən/
[uncountable]- a thick strong cotton cloth with a slightly rough surface, used in the past for making clothes
- (literary) language that sounds impressive but does not mean much
Word OriginMiddle English: from Old French fustaigne, from medieval Latin fustaneum, from (pannus) fustaneus ‘cloth from Fostat’, a suburb of Cairo; sense (2) perhaps from the fact that fustian was sometimes used to cover pillows and cushions, implying that the language was “padded”; compare with bombast.