nankeen

Definition

A type of cotton cloth originally from Nanking in China.

Etymology

Eye spelling of Nanking, itself a romanization of Chinese 南京 (Nánjīng, literally “Southern capital”).

Example Sentences

• "1885, L. and A. Maude (translators), Leo Tolstoy, "What Men Live By", in What Men Live By and Other Tales He put on over his shirt his wife's wadded nankeen jacket, and over that he put his own cloth coat."
• "c. 1910-1920, Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Thomas Seltzer (translator), A Christmas Tree and a Wedding She was a poor widow, and her little boy, clad in a sorry-looking little nankeen jacket, looked thoroughly crushed and intimidated."