A type of linen fabric made with a distinctive weave, traditionally produced in Scotland or Northern Europe.
Likely derived from Buist, a place name or family name associated with fabric production in Scotland. The word traveled into English textile terminology from regional Scottish usage in the 17th-18th centuries.
Scottish textile terminology gave English names for dozens of fabrics—buist, tartan, and tweed all come from regional specialties. These words are like geographic signatures, telling us where particular manufacturing expertise developed historically.
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