A strong, coarse fiber obtained from plants in the genus Corchorus, used to make rope, sacks, and carpet backing. It is primarily grown in Bangladesh and eastern India.
From Hindi झूट (jhūṭ) or Bengali ঝুট (jhuṭ), referring to the fiber plant Corchorus capsularis. The word entered English in the 18th century through British colonial trade in Bengal, where jute became a major export crop. The plant name may derive from Sanskrit जूत (jūta).
Jute was called 'the golden fiber' because it made Calcutta one of the world's wealthiest cities in the 19th century! The entire global jute industry was controlled from a single street in Calcutta, and jute sacks were so essential for world trade that they were called 'the packaging of the world'.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.