What does madras mean?
Madras is a lightweight cotton fabric known for its fine weave and decorative patterns, commonly narrow stripes or checks. It has traditionally been used for shirts, dresses, curtains, and other warm-weather clothing, and is valued for being both durable and comfortable in heat. Although the fabric’s appearance varies by manufacturer and by regional weaving traditions, the name is now used especially for patterned cotton cloth rather than for every textile historically associated with it. The word is chiefly a practical textile term with a mildly traditional or nostalgic quality; in Britain and the United States, it is less frequent in ordinary conversation than it was in earlier centuries, although it remains familiar in clothing, interior-furnishing, and fabric-shop contexts.
nounA lightweight cotton fabric, often woven with a fine pattern or narrow stripes and used for clothing and curtains. The name commemorates Madras, the city now known as Chennai.
- A lightweight cotton fabric with a fine weave, often decorated with stripes or checks.
"She chose a length of madras for the light summer curtains."
"He wore a crisp madras shirt with a pair of light trousers."
"The tailor recommended madras for the curtains because it would allow light to filter through."
The plural is used for separate pieces or lengths of madras fabric.
"The shop sells remnants and madrases in several colours."
Although it now means a patterned cotton fabric, “madras” preserves the name of a former city in India and has travelled into several European languages.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does madras come from?
The word comes from Madras, the former English name of the city now called Chennai, in southern India. British textile merchants used the city’s name for cotton fabrics imported or associated with that trading centre during the early modern period. Over time, the name became a general term for lightweight patterned cotton, including striped cloth widely made in India and later produced elsewhere.
Related word forms
How madras is actually used
The term is now chiefly a textile term and is less common in everyday speech than it once was. It is usually treated as a mass noun, although the plural “madrases” is used for separate pieces or lengths of the fabric.
Easily confused with madras
Madras is generally a lightweight cotton fabric woven with a fine, often striped or checked pattern, whereas calico commonly refers to a printed cotton fabric with floral or other decorative designs.