Name of a country in central Asia; used attrib. of wool obtained thence, or of cloth or garments made from this or in imitation of it; applied (usually thibet) to (a) a heavy stuff made wholly or partly of goats’ hair; (b) a fine stuff used for women’s dresses. absol. Tibet cloth, or a gown or shawl made of it. Hence Tibetan a., belonging to Tibet.
1827. Scott, Surg. Dau., Concl. ‘How could you … collect all these hard words about India?’… ‘Like the imitative operatives of Paisley, I have composed my shawl by incorporating into the woof a little Thibet wool, which … Colonel Mackerris … had the goodness to supply me with.’
1857. Parkhill, Hist. Paisley, xiii. 97. Shawls of all kinds … such as thibet and cashmere shawls. Ibid., 98. Edinburgh had thibet in the manufacture.
1858. Simmonds, Dict. Trade, Thibet-cloth, a camlet or fabric made of coarse goats’-hair.
1894. J. Macintosh, Ayrshire Nights’ Entertainm., vii. 129. A small production of thibets, coarse woollens, and muslins.
1900. Mary E. Wilkins, Parson Lord, 196. Her black thibet gown. Ibid., 197. I don’t care about this old thibet.
