A soft, fine fabric made from the wool of cashmere goats, usually from the Kashmir region in Asia; also refers to the region itself.
Named after the Kashmir region in the Himalayas (now divided between India and Pakistan). The word entered European languages through Persian 'Kashmirian' in the 17th century as the fabric became famous for luxury trade.
Cashmere is so prized because each goat produces only about 150 grams per year of the ultra-fine undercoat wool—that's why a cashmere sweater costs so much, and why shepherds have guarded these goats for centuries!
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