batiste

noun

ba·​tiste bə-ˈtēst How to pronounce batiste (audio)
ba-
: a fine soft sheer fabric of plain weave made of various fibers

Examples of batiste in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Coat of black silk satin brocaded with polychrome silk thread in a pattern of tulips; belt of black silk satin; blouse of white silk-cotton batiste; skirt of beige cotton-linen twill. Irene Kim, Vogue, 28 June 2024

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from French, earlier also baptiste, by hypercorrection from *batisse (associated with the proper name Baptiste, pronounced with cluster simplification as Batiste, Batisse), going back to Middle French (Picard) batiche, probably from bat-, stem of battre "to beat, separate (fiber for felting)" + -iche, Picard cognate of central French -isse, adjective suffix, going back to Old French -ice, feminine of -eiz, iz, going back to Latin -ātīcius, -itīcius — more at battery

First Known Use

1697, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of batiste was in 1697

Cite this Entry

“Batiste.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/batiste. Accessed 9 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

batiste

noun
ba·​tiste bə-ˈtēst How to pronounce batiste (audio)
ba-
: a fine soft sheer fabric of plain weave

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