noun
muslin
MUHZ-lihn
noun
1
A lightweight, plain-woven cotton fabric.
"She wrapped the cheese in muslin before hanging it to dry."
"The baby was swaddled in a soft muslin blanket."
2
A rough, inexpensive test version of a dress pattern made up before cutting the real fabric.
"The designer made a muslin first to check the fit before using the expensive silk."
How to Use Muslin
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA thin, plain cotton cloth used for everything from baby wraps to dressmaking test pieces.
Common pairings
muslin cloth
muslin square
wrapped in muslin
Word Forms
muslins plural
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Etymology
From French mousseline, from Italian mussolina, named after Mosul, the Iraqi city where the fabric was originally associated with trade.