Muslin

Muslin (through Fr. mousseline from It. mussolino, diminutive of Mussolo, i.e. the town Mosul in Kurdistan) a light cotton cloth said to have been first made at Mosul, a city of Mesopotamia. Muslins have been largely made in various parts of India, whence they were imported to England towards the end of the 17th century. Some of these Indian muslins were very fine and costly. Among the specialties are Arni muslin, made in the Madras presidency, and Dacca muslin, made at Dacca in Bengal. Muslins of many kinds are now made in Europe and America, and the name is applied to both plain and fancy cloths, and to printed calicoes of light texture. Swiss muslin  is a light variety, woven in stripes or figures, originally made in Switzerland. Book muslin is made in Scotland from very fine yarns. Mulls, jaconets, lenos, and other cloths exported to the East and elsewhere are sometimes described as muslins. Muslin is used for dresses, blinds, curtains, &c.