wadmal

Definition

Thick coarse heavily napped wool mostly (formerly) used in Scandinavia and parts of Britain in winter clothing for the poor, similar to melton.

Etymology

From Middle English wadmal, wadmol, from Old Norse váðmál (“woolen stuff”), from váð (“cloth”) + mál (“measure”). Cognate to Danish vadmel, Swedish vadmal, Norwegian Nynorsk vadmål and Icelandic vaðmál. Compare wad (“a small mass”) and woodmeil.

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