Grosgrain
/ˈɡroʊɡreɪn/noun
A firm, ribbed fabric or ribbon with pronounced horizontal ridges.
Did you know?The word combines French gros, meaning “large” or “coarse,” with grain, referring to the fabric’s visibly grain-like transverse ribs.
Etymological Timeline
Classical Latin
Latin
grossus
“Thick, coarse, or large; the ancestor of French gros.”
Classical Latin
Latin
grānum
“A grain, seed, or small particle; the ancestor of French grain and English grain.”
12th–14th Century
Old French
gros
“Large, thick, or coarse.”
Middle French
French
gros grain
“Literally “coarse grain,” used for a fabric with a pronounced grain or ribbed texture.”
18th Century
English
grosgrain
“A borrowed textile term for a ribbed silk or other fabric.”
Modern English
English
grosgrain
“A firm, ribbed fabric or ribbon, commonly used in clothing, millinery, and decoration.”