madras

noun

fine handwoven cotton fabric of India, usually in an irregular plaid patterns from yarns dyed with bleeding vegetable dyes

Pronunciation: /məˈdɹæs/ / /məˈdɹɑːs/ / /ˈmædɹəs/

Etymology: The etymology is uncertain; it may derive from Madraspattinam. See Wikipedia for several possible etymologies.

Etymology: From Madras, former name of the Indian city Chennai, where it was first produced.

A brightly colored cotton fabric with a checked or striped pattern.
“A black woman in blue cotton gown, red-and-yellow Madras turban […] crouched against the wall.”
“The service makes available, during limited weekend hours, a handful of the company’s items—cargo shorts, tank tops, and the like—to the Hamptons house guest who discovers that he can’t make it to Monday without purchasing one of those weird madras patchwork blazers”
A large handkerchief of this fabric, worn on the head in the West Indies.
Alternative form of Madras (“type of curry”).
“Gerry ordered poppadoms and parathas and then he was interrupted by requests for vindaloos, chicken madrases and sag joshes, rice, raita and nan, from Priest, Morgan and Maria Grazia.”