Caddis
/ˈkædɪs/noun
A coarse woolen cloth, or a caddisfly larva that builds a protective case from grains of sand, plant fragments, or other materials.
Did you know?The caddisfly larva’s name arose because its case was thought to resemble caddis cloth, linking an aquatic insect to medieval textile trade.
Etymological Timeline
Early Medieval Period
Arabic
qazz
“Silk or raw silk; the likely ultimate source of the textile name”
Medieval Period
Old French
cadis
“A coarse woolen or silk-like fabric”
14th Century
Middle English
cades
“A coarse cloth, especially a woolen fabric”
16th Century
English
caddis
“A coarse fabric used for clothing and other purposes”
18th Century
English
caddis
“A caddisfly larva or its case, named by resemblance to the cloth”
Modern English
English
caddis
“The cloth, or a caddisfly larva and its protective case”