buckram

Definition

A coarse cloth of cotton, linen or hemp, stiffened with size or glue, used in bookbinding to cover and protect the books, in garments to keep them in the form intended, and for wrappers to cover merchandise.

Etymology

From Middle English bukeram (“fine linen”), from Anglo-Norman bokeram, from Old French boquerant, bougherant (“fine cloth”), bougueran, probably ultimately from Bokhara, a city in southeastern Uzbekistan.

Example Sentences

• "Four rogues in buckram let drive at me—"
• "Buckram was probably from the first a stiffened material employed for lining, often dyed."