tarlatan

[ tahr-luh-tn, -tuh n ]

/ ˈtɑr lə tn, -tən /

a thin, plain-weave, open-mesh cotton fabric finished with stiffening agents and sometimes glazed.

Origin of tarlatan

1720–30; < French tarlatane, dissimilated variant of tarnatane kind of cloth orig. imported from India < ?

The gores were parted as she spoke, and (to do us justice) were exactly the shape of the tarlatan ones Aunt Theresa had cut.

Six to Sixteen |Juliana Horatia Ewing
The next morning Nan was tacking up some tarlatan at a window to keep the midges out.

Shapes that Haunt the Dusk |Various
Look, we'll put the tarlatan away in the drawer I take my things out of.

Carnival |Compton Mackenzie
A few green or blue gauze or tarlatan veils, to protect the eyes from the glare of the snow, will be found of the greatest value.

Shifts and Expedients of Camp Life, Travel & Exploration |W. B. Lord

The beams rose high above their heads, and a musty smell of tarlatan and muslin and cheese-cloth filled the air.

Smith College Stories |Josephine Dodge Daskam

tarlatan

/ (ˈtɑːlətən) /

an open-weave cotton fabric, used for stiffening garments

C18: from French tarlatane, variant of tarnatane type of muslin, perhaps of Indian origin