What does moleskin mean?
Moleskin is a closely woven fabric with a soft, raised surface rather like velvet, traditionally made from cotton and used for durable work clothes, waistcoats, trousers, and jackets. Its name also has a literal historical connection with the skin or fur of the mole, a small burrowing mammal valued for its dense, velvety coat. The fabric became associated with practical clothing worn by farmers, miners, and other manual workers because it was warm, hard-wearing, and relatively soft. In British usage, the expression moleskin waistcoat evokes the clothing of working-class men, while in Australia moleskin trousers remain an established feature of rural and outback dress. Today, most moleskin is cotton and resembles soft corduroy or velvet in texture. The term is also used for garments made from the material and, in historical contexts, for the animal's skin itself. Despite its suggestive name, ordinary modern moleskin contains no mole fur.
nounA soft, closely woven fabric, usually cotton, with a short raised nap resembling velvet. The term can also refer historically to the skin or fur of a mole.
- A soft, durable cotton fabric with a short raised pile or nap, traditionally used for work clothes and other garments.
- The skin or fur of a mole, historically used to make clothing.
- A garment made from moleskin fabric, especially a waistcoat or pair of trousers.
"He wore a worn moleskin jacket to keep the winter wind at bay."
"The farmhand's moleskin trousers were repaired more than once."
"Museum staff preserved an early waistcoat made from moleskin."
The plural is used for separate garments or pieces of moleskin; the material itself is normally treated as a mass noun.
"His old moleskins were patched at the elbows and knees."
Despite its name, modern moleskin is normally cotton rather than the skin of a mole.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does moleskin come from?
Moleskin is an English compound formed from mole, the burrowing mammal, and skin. The term was historically applied to the mole's fur and later to a cotton fabric whose dense, soft nap was thought to resemble that fur. The fabric and its clothing associations developed particularly in Britain and Australia.
How moleskin is actually used
Moleskin is usually a mass noun when referring to the fabric. In Britain it is particularly associated with the moleskin waistcoat, historically worn by working-class men; in Australia, moleskin trousers are strongly associated with rural and outback workwear.
Easily confused with moleskin
Moles are the burrowing mammals whose fur gives the fabric its name; moleskin is the fabric or, historically, the animals' skin itself.