Obs. Forms: 5 vettris, Sc. vitrisch; 6 vitre, 7 vitree, vitrie, vittry, 8 vitry; 6–7 vittery, 9 vittory. [ad. F. Vitré, the name of a town in Brittany. The early forms in -is, -isch prob. represent F. Vitrées pl., canvas cloths made at Vitré.] Vitry canvas, a kind of light durable canvas. (Cf. VANDELAS.) Also ellipt.
c. 1425. Foreign Accts., 59 m. 23 a (P. R. O.). [A ship’s bonnet containing] iiij di’ uln’ canab’ de vettris.
1497. Acc. Ld. High Treas. Scot., I. 345. For xiiij elne of vetrisch cammas to ane litil palȝoune of the Kingis, xiiij s.
1534. Exch. Acc., 58/13. Vittery canvas.
1599. Nashe, Lenten Stuffe, 27. For which is alwaies paide ready Golde, with salt, Canuas Vitre, and a great deale of good trash.
1612. Ledger A. Halyburton (1867), 319. Vandolose or Vitrie canves the eln, x s.
1617. Moryson, Itin., III. 134. And they bring from thence Linnen cloathes, called white Roanes and Vitree Canvas.
1640. in Entick, London (1766), II. 167. Linnens,… narrow vandales, or vittry canvas.
1721. C. King, Brit. Merch., I. 181. 17000 Hund. of Vitry and Noyals Canvas. Ibid., 284. Canvas Vitry,… Canvas Norman.
1757. J. H. Grose, Voy. E. Indies, 176. Holland’s duck, or vitry, is whilst in use, more pliant, and less apt to split.
1867. Smyth, Sailor’s Word-bk., 714. Vitry, a light and durable canvas. Ibid., Vittory, a fine canvas, of which the waist-cloths were formerly made.
