muslin
/ˈmʌzlɪn/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈmʌzlɪn/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈməz-lən/ (ame, mw)
muslin — noun
- muslinsingular
- muslinsplural
1. a soft, lightweight cotton fabric whose weave is so fine that light passes throu
a soft, lightweight cotton fabric whose weave is so fine that light passes through it; commonly used for summer clothing, curtains, or wrapping food.
Felipe sewed white muslin curtains for the kitchen window.
noun + noun: muslin curtains
The Victorian dress in the museum was made of pale blue muslin.
made of muslin (material origin)
Lien wrapped the warm cheese in a piece of muslin to drain.
Light passed easily through the thin muslin hanging over the doorway.
Grandmother kept her summer blouses of soft muslin folded in the wooden chest.
- gauze
even more open weave; medical or theatrical use
- voile
similar sheer fabric but usually finer and used for dresses or sheer curtains
- cheesecloth
looser-woven muslin used in kitchens for straining
文法句型
a piece of muslin
muslin curtains/dress
用法筆記
Often modifies another noun as in 'muslin curtain', 'muslin dress', 'muslin bag'. Used both as an uncountable mass noun (the material itself) and as a count noun (a piece of the material).
常見錯誤
2. a small square piece of soft cotton cloth, kept by parents to wipe a baby's face
a small square piece of soft cotton cloth, kept by parents to wipe a baby's face after feeding, to cover them, or to lay them on.
Shanti tucked three clean muslins into the changing bag before leaving home.
countable plural: muslins
Dahlia wiped the milk from the baby's chin with a soft muslin.
common verb collocation: wipe with a muslin
The hospital gave each new mother a pack of cotton muslins for the first weeks.
Darius draped a muslin over the pram to shade his daughter from the sun.
- burp cloth
American equivalent term for the same item
- swaddle cloth
larger square specifically used to wrap a baby
文法句型
a muslin
muslins (plural)
用法筆記
Mainly British usage; American English would say 'burp cloth' or 'baby cloth' for the same item. Always countable in this sense, unlike sense 1.
常見錯誤
3. any plain cotton cloth produced on a basic loom, ranging from very light and alm
any plain cotton cloth produced on a basic loom, ranging from very light and almost transparent to thick and stiff; the American textile sense covers a wider weight range than the British use.
Christopher bought ten yards of unbleached muslin for his sewing class.
common collocation: unbleached muslin (raw cotton color)
Theater designers test their costume patterns on cheap muslin first.
test pattern on muslin (sewing-industry sense)
The cotton mill in Carolina produced heavy muslin for army tents.
Rachel stretched plain muslin over the wooden frame to make a painting canvas.
- calico
in British English calico is the heavier cotton cloth; the American/British boundary between these two words is reversed
- cotton sheeting
broader textile-trade term for the same weight range
文法句型
unbleached muslin
heavy muslin
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1: in American textile use 'muslin' covers a much wider range of weights, including thick fabric a British speaker would not call muslin. Common in sewing, theatre, and upholstery contexts.