Damask | Webster's Dictionary (1865)

Dām'ask, a.

adjective

a. 1. Pertaining to, or originating at, the city of Damascus; resembling the products or manufactures of Damascus.

Sense 2. Having the color of the damask-rose.

While dreaming on your damask cheek The dewy sister eyelids lay. Tennyson.

Damask color, a color like that of the damask rose.—Damask plum, a small dark-colored plum, generally called damson.—Damask rose (Bot.), a variety of rose (Rosa damascena) native to Damascus, and brought from thence.—Damask silk, a kind of heavy, rich, figured silk;—usually called simply damask.—Damask steel, a fine quality of steel originally made at Damascus, and formerly much valued for sword-blades, from its great flexibility and tenacity.

Dām'ask, n.

noun

n. [It. damasco, damasto, dommasco, Sp. damasco, Fr. damas, Ger. damast, from Damascus. See supra.]

Sense 1. A kind of stuff with raised figures in various patterns, as flowers, &c., woven in the loom. It was originally made at Damascus, and was composed of rich silk: it is now made of silk intermingled with flax, cotton, or wool.

A bed of ancient damask, with a tester sufficiently lofty to grace a couch of state. W. Irving.

Sense 2. Linen woven in imitation of the figures in damask silk.

Dăm'ask, v. t.

verbtransitive

v. t. [imp. & p. p. DAMASKED (dăm'askt); p. pr. & vb. n. DAMASKING.] To decorate with ornamental figures, as silk or other stuff with raised flowers, &c., or steel with devices; hence, to adorn; to embellish; to variegate.

Mingled metal damasked o'er with gold. Dryden.

The soft, downy bank, damasked with flowers. Milton.