Forms: 5–9 cadas, 5 cadace, 6 cadys, -yas, -es, caddes, -iz, -esse, 6–7 caddys, 6–8 caddas, 6–9 caddis, caddice, 7 cadice, (8 cadduce), 8–9 cadis. [Here two words are apparently mixed up: 1 (sense 1), properly cadas, cadace, OF. cadaz, cadas, cf. Cotgr. cadarce ‘the tow or coarsest part of silke, whereof sleaue is made’; cf. Irish cadas = cadan cotton; 2 F. cadis (15th c. in Littré) ‘sorte de serge de laine, de bas pris.’ Of both, the ulterior history is unknown.]
† 1. Cotton, wool, floss silk, or the like, used in padding: Scotch writers of the 18th c. applied the name to ‘lint’ used in surgery. Obs.
[Hue de Tabarie, MS. Heber No. 8336, in Promp. Parv., 57. Pur cadaz e cotoun de saunk fu le encusture.]
a. 1400. Cov. Myst., 241. Cadace wolle or flokkys … To stuffe withal thi dobbelet.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 57/2. Cadas, bombicinium.
1458. Will of Gist (Somerset Ho.). Vnum Jakke stuffed cum Cadace.
1463. in Rot. Parl., in Promp. Parv., 57. No … bolstors, nor stuffe of woole, coton or cadas, nor other stuffer in his doublet.
1738. Med. Ess. & Observ. (ed. 2), IV. 334. Soft half-worn Linen, which the French call Charpie, the English, Lint, and we Caddiss.
1769. W. Buchan, Dom. Med. (1790), 578. With soft lint, commonly called caddis.
† 2. Worsted yarn, crewel. Obs.
1530. Palsgr., 202/1. Caddas or crule, sayette.
1548. W. Patten, Exped. Scotl., in Arb., Garner, III. 92. Hemmed round about … with pasmain lace of green caddis.
1721. C. King, Brit. Merch., I. 286. Tapestry with Caddas.
† b. Hence attrib. as a material. Obs.
1550–1600. Customs Duties, Addit. MS. Brit. Mus. No. 25097. Cruell or Caddas rybande.
1575. Laneham, Lett. (1871), 37. Seemly begyrt in a red caddiz gyrdl.
1596. Shaks., 1 Hen. IV., II. iv. 79. Wilt thou rob this Leatherne Ierkin … Puke stocking, Caddice garter.
1675. Bk. of Rates, 293. Caddas or cruel ribbon.
† c. Short for caddis ribbon: A worsted tape or binding, used for garters, etc. Obs.
1580. Lyly, Euphues (1868), 220. The country dame girdeth herselfe as straight in the waste with a course caddis, as the Madame of the court with a silke riband.
1584. B. R., trans. Herodotus, 79. Stitching to the inside of the vesture a tape or caddese to gird their apparell.
1611. Shaks., Wint. T., IV. iv. 208. Hee hath Ribbons … Points … Inckles, Caddysses.
1646. Quarles, Sheph. Orac., VIII. 98.
| Surely, I was, when that mischance befell, | |
| But poore in purse, and was constrain’d to sell | |
| Cadice and Inckle. |
1691. Lond. Gaz., No. 2698/4. A … blue Saddle-Cloth bound with Green and White Caddis.
1739. Desaguliers, in Phil. Trans., XLI. 190. Cadis, or a kind of Worsted Tape.
1751. S. Whatley, Eng. Gazeteer, Sturbridge (Camb.). All sorts of tapes, cadduces, and the like wares, from Manchester.
[1822–76. Nares, Caddis, a kind of ferret or worsted lace.]
† 3. A kind of stuff; perh. of worsted (or ? silk).
1536. Inv. Kilburn Nunnery Middlesex, in Monast. Anglicanum, III. 424/1. One Carpet of Cadys for the table xij d.
1552. Berksh. Ch. Goods, 28. Ane other vestyment of grene caddes, a vestyment of Redd caddis.
1552. Inv. Ch. Surrey, 54. Item a cope of blew cades.
1552–3. Inv. Ch. Goods Staffs., in Ann. Diocese Lichfield, IV. 48. One vestement of cadyas, iiij albes.
[1876. Rock, Text. Fabr., iv. 30.]
b. A coarse cheap serge. [Mod.F. cadis.] (The first quot. is of doubtful meaning.) Cf. CADDOW2.
1579. Lyly, Euphues, 79. In steede of silkes I will weare sackcloth: for Owches and Bracelettes, Leere and Caddys.
1714. Fr. Bk. of Rates, 38. Cadis-Stuff per 100 Weight.
1755. Johnson, Caddis … this word is used in Erse for the variegated cloaths of the Highlanders.
1862. Wraxall, Hugo’s Miserables (1877), I. iv. 20. Who had acquired £80000 by manufacturing coarse clothes, serges, and caddis.
1887. J. H. Nodal, in Lett. ‘Caddies is still used in Bolton for a special make of sheets and quilts.’ [Cf. CADDOW2 c. 1860.]
