Percale

Percale

Percale is a closely woven plain-weave fabric often used for bed linens.

The term describes the weave of the fabric, not its content, so percale can be a 50/50 blend of cotton and polyester, 100% cotton, or a blend of other fabrics in any ratio. [ [http://www.bed-linens.net/percale.htm "Bed Linens Etc."] (commercial site)] A percale weave has a thread count of about 200 or higher, and is noticeably tighter than the standard type of weave used for bed-sheets. It has medium weight, is firm and smooth with no gloss, and warps and washes very well. It is made from both carded and combed yarns. Percale fabrics are made in both solid colors and printed patterns. The finish of the fabric is independent of its weave, so it can be either printed or unprinted.

Percale was originally imported from India in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries ["percale noun" [http://www.oxfordreference.com/views/ENTRY.html?subview=Main&entry=t33.e5225 "The Oxford Essential Dictionary of Foreign Terms in English." Ed. Jennifer Speake. Berkley Books, 1999. Oxford Reference Online.] Oxford University Press. Cambridgeshire Libraries. 18 December 2007] , then manufactured in France. ["percale, "n. and adj.", Draft Revision Dec. 2005, Oxford English Dictionary] The word may originate from the Persian "pargālah", 'rag', ["percale", "The American Heritage Dictionaries", at [http://www.answers.com/percale&r=67 answers.com] ] , although the Oxford English Dictionary (Dec. 2005) has traced it only as far as 18th-century French.

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References


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  • percale — [ pɛrkal ] n. f. • 1701; percallen XVIIe; du persan pargâla « toile, lambeau de toile » ♦ Tissu de coton, fin et serré. Percale pour doublures. Percale glacée. ⇒ chintz. « des cols et des manchettes de percale » (Zola). ● percale nom féminin… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • percale — 1620s, fabric imported from the East; in modern use, 1840, from Fr. percale, perhaps ultimately from Pers. pargalah a rag …   Etymology dictionary

  • Percale — Per cale , n. [F.] A fine cotton fabric, having a linen finish, and often printed on one side, used for women s and children s wear, and for bedsheets. [1913 Webster +PJC] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • percale — [pər kāl′] n. [Fr < Pers pargāla, fragment, scrap] fine, closely woven cotton cloth, used for sheets, etc …   English World dictionary

  • PERCALE — s. f. Toile de coton, d un tissu fin et serré, qui ne se fabriquait originairement que dans les Indes orientales, et qu on imite maintenant dans toute l Europe. De belle percale. Une robe, une chemise, une cravate, un mouchoir de percale. Des… …   Dictionnaire de l'Academie Francaise, 7eme edition (1835)

  • PERCALE — n. f. Toile de coton, d’un tissu ras et serré, plus fin que le calicot. Une robe, une chemise, un mouchoir de percale. Des rideaux de percale. Percale teinte. Percale de couleur …   Dictionnaire de l'Academie Francaise, 8eme edition (1935)

  • Percale — La percale est tissu de coton très fin de qualité supérieure. Elle est très appréciée en literie pour son toucher lisse, soyeux et doux. Étymologie Le mot percale viendrait de l anglais percallas lui même originaire du persan pargāla[1] (morceau …   Wikipédia en Français

  • percale — noun Etymology: ultimately from Persian pargāla Date: 1840 a fine closely woven cotton cloth variously finished for clothing, sheeting, and industrial uses …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • percale — /peuhr kayl /, n. a closely woven, smooth finished, plain or printed cotton cloth, used for bed sheets, clothing, etc. [1615 25; < F < Pers pargala rag; r. percalla < Pers] * * * …   Universalium

  • percale — noun /pəˈkeɪl,pəˈkɑːl/ A fine, closely woven fabric, made from cotton, polyester or a mix of these, and used for sheets and clothing …   Wiktionary

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