Obs. or dial. Forms: 5–7 cipres, 6–9 cyprus, 6–7 cypres, cy-, cipresse, 7 cipress, 7– cypress; also 5 (cipre), cipyrs, 6 sipers, sipars, (cyrpe), 6–7 sypers, sipres, 7 sypress, sipris. [prob. f. OF. Cipre, Cypre, the island of Cyprus, from which, in and after the Crusading times, various fabrics were brought: see Aldis Wright, note to Shaks., Twelfth Night, III. i. 118.]
1. A name of several textile fabrics originally imported from or through Cyprus: a. A cloth of gold or other valuable material.
[c. 1400. Inv., in Sir F. Palgrave, Kal. & Invent. Treas., III. 358. Primerement, xxv draps d’or de diverses suytes dount iiii. de Cipre les autres de Lukes.]
14[?]. Langl., P. Pl., B. XV. 224 (MS. O.). Clenlich ycloþed in cipres [MS. C. cipyrs; B. purpre] and in tartaryne.
a. 1440. Sir Degrev., 1482. The scochenus of many knyȝt Of gold and cyprus was i-dyȝt.
b. A valuable quality of satin, called more fully satin of Cypres, satin Cypres.
1533. in Weaver, Wells Wills (1890), 27. A Sondays gowne of blak lyned with sattyn of sypers.
1548. Hall, Chron. (1809), 599. Long and large garmentes of blewe Satten panned with Sipres, poudered with spangles of bullion golde.
1552–3. Inv. Ch. Goods, Staff., in Ann. Litchfield, IV. 39. On redde vestement of saten sipars with all things to hitt.
1603. Draperies sold at Norwich, in 38th Rep. Keeper Public Rec., 444. Fustyans of Naples … Paris clothes … sattins of Cipres, Spanish sattins.
c. esp. (= Cypress lawn) A light transparent material resembling cobweb lawn or crape; like the latter it was, when black, much used for habiliments of mourning.
[1398. Test. Ebor., I. 240. Unum [velum] de cypres. Ibid. (1402), I. 289. ij flameola de cipres.]
1577. Eden & Willes, Hist. Trav., 260. With two Oxe hornes, as it were, made of fine cypres hangyng downe about theyr eares.
1594. Nashe, Unfort. Trav., 84. A hundred pages in sutes of white cipresse.
1611. Shaks., Wint. T., IV. iv. 221. Lawne as white as driuen Snow, Cypresse blacke as ere was Crow.
1616. B. Jonson, Epigr., lxxiii. One half drawn In solemn cyprus, th’ other cobweb lawn.
1678. Phillips, Cipress, a fine curled Stuff, part Silk, part Hair, of a Cobweb thinness, of which Hoods for Women are made.
1721. Lond. Gaz., No. 5930/1. Officers wearing Mourning-Scarfs of Cypress. Ibid. (1722), No. 6084/4. The Colours furled and wrapped in Cypress.
[1820. Scott, Monast., xviii. The murrey-coloured double-piled Genoa velvet, puffed out with ciprus.]
transf. 1718. Warder, True Amazons (ed. 2), 3. Having four Wings … with strong Fibres round and cross them, to strengthen the fine Cypress of which they are framed.
2. A piece of cypress used as a kerchief for the neck or head, as a band for the hat, etc., in sign of mourning, and the like.
1530. Palsgr., 205/2. Cypres for a womans necke, crespe.
c. 1540. Four P. P., in Hazl., Dodsley, I. 350. Sipers, swathbands, ribbons, and sleeve-laces.
1601. Shaks., Twel. N., III. i. 131. A Cipresse, not a bosome, Hides my heart.
1609. Dekker, Gulls Horne-bk., 20. Him that weares a trebled cipers about his hatte.
1611. Florio, Velaregli, shadowes, vailes, Launes, Scarfes, Sipres or Bonegraces that women vse to weare.
a. 1718. Parnell, Night-Piece on Death, 72. Why then thy flowing sable stoles, Deep pendant cypress, mourning poles.
3. attrib. (or adj.). a. Of cypress.
1530. Palsgr., 173. Crespine, a cypres lynyn clothe.
1607. W. S., Puritan, Stage Direct., Enter the widow Plus, Frances, Mary, Sir Godfrey, and Edmond, all in mourning; the latter in a cyprus hat.
1632. Milton, Penseroso, 35. Sable stole of cypress lawn.
1678. J. Phillips, Tavernier’s Trav. Persia, I. 10. The Travellers are wont to wear black Cypress Hoods … over their Faces.
b. Resembling cypress in texture; gauze-like.
1598. Sylvester, Du Bartas, I. vii. (1641), 64/2. The Spider … neat and nimbly her new web she weaves … Open, lest else th’ ungentle Winds should tear Her Cipres Tent.
1713. Warder, True Amazons (ed. 2), 30. Not only Bees, but all other Creatures having a Cypress wing.
c. Dark grey with darker markings; hence cyprus-cat, a variety of tabby cat (local).
1857. Wright, Prov. Dict., Cypress-cat, a tabby-cat, East.
1879. Lubbock, Fauna of Norfolk, 7. An immense cat of a cypress colour.
1887. N. & Q., 7th Ser. IV. 289/1. While discussing the merits of a new kitten recently with a lady from Norwich, she described its colour as ‘Cyprus’—dark grey, with black stripes and markings.
