Forms: 6 camerick(e, -yk(e, -ike, camarick, -ike, (Sc. cammeraige, camorage, camroche), 6–7 cambricke, camerige, 7 cameric, 6–8 cambrick, 8– cambric. [f. Kameryk or Kamerijk, Flemish name of Cambray:—L. Camaracum, in French Flanders.]
1. A kind of fine white linen, originally made at Cambray in Flanders. (Also applied to an imitation made of hard-spun cotton yarn.)
1530. Privy Purse Exp. Hen. VIII., 29 Oct., in Beck, Draper’s Dict. xxiij elles of cameryk for vj shirtes for the King.
c. 1570. Thynne, Pride & Lowl. (1841), 19. His shirt had bands and ruffe of pure cambrick.
1578. Royal Inv., 232 (Jam.). Ane quaiff of camorage with twa cornettis.
1581. Sc. Acts Jas. VI. (1597), § 113. The wearing of coastelie Cleithing of Silkes … Cammeraige.
a. 1586. Maitland, Poems (1786), 326 (Jam.). Of fynest camroche thair fuk saillis.
1597. Lowe, Chirurg. (1634), 367. Cover it [the corps] with a linnen cloth, or for persons of higher dignitie take layre or camerige.
1607. Shaks., Cor., I. iii. 95. I would your Cambrick were sensible as your finger.
1610. Holland, Camden’s Brit., I. 478. Dornicks, Cameric, Calecut &c. had … their denomination from the places where they were first invented.
1712. Steele, Spect., No. 552, ¶ 1. The most delicate cambricks, muslins, and linens.
1735. Berkeley, Querist, § 552, Wks. 1871, III. 399. Diapers are made in one town … in another cambrics.
1875. Ure, Dict. Arts, I. 675. Linen cambric … manufactured … from power-spun flax … frequently called cambric muslin.
b. As the material of handkerchiefs.
1886. Sat. Rev., 6 March, 328/1. It is not our habit … to flourish cambric over the woes of any one.
c. attrib.
1575. G. Harvey, Letter-bk. (1884), 98. Frenche camarike ruffes.
1714. Gay, Trivia, III. 82. Cambrick Handkerchiefs reward the Song.
1793. J. Beresford, in Looker-on, No. 79. A cambrick trophy of former achievements.
