chintz

chintz tSints. Forms: pl. 7-8 chints, 7 chites; sing. 7 chint, (? 7) 8-9 chints, 8 chince, chinse , 8- chintz. Originally chints, plural of chint, a. Hindi chint; also formerly found as chite, Fr. chite, Pg. chita, a. Mahrati chit in same sense ; both:-Skr. chitra variegated. The plural of this word, being more frequent in commercial use, came in course of time to be mistaken for a singular, and this to be written chince, chinse, and at length chintz (app. aft er words like Coblentz, quartz). This error was not established before the third quarter of the 18th c., although editors and press-readers have intruded it into re-editions of earlier works. Cf. the similar baize for bays.

1. orig. A name for the painted or stained calicoes imported from India; now, a name for cotton cloths fast-printed with designs of flowers, etc., in a number of colours, generally not less than five, and usually g lazed.

a. sing. chint, pl. chints (-z).

b. sing. chints (chinse), chintz, pl. chintzes.

2. attrib. Of chintz; covered, etc., with chintz.