Dictionary:

damask

  (dăm'əsk)

1. A rich patterned fabric of cotton, linen, silk, or wool.
2. A fine, twilled table linen.
3. Damascus steel.
4. The wavy pattern on Damascus steel.

1. To damascene.
2. To decorate or weave with rich patterns.

[Middle English, Damascus, damask, from Latin Damascus, from Greek Damaskos.]

Italian silk damask, 1300s.

Damask (Arabic: دمسق) is a figured fabric of silk, wool, linen, cotton, or synthetic fibers, with a pattern formed by weaving. Made with one warp and one weft in which, generally, warp-satin and weft sateen weaves interchange. Twill or other binding weaves may sometimes be introduced. The term originally referred to ornamental silk fabrics, which were elaborately woven in colours, sometimes with the addition of gold and other metallic threads. Damask weaves are commonly produced today in silk, linen or linen-type fabrics which feature woven patterns featuring flowers, fruit, forms of animal life, and other types of ornament.

Damask was first produced in China, India, Persia, and Syria, then the Byzantine Empire followed. In the West, it was first known as diaspron or diaper, the term used in Constantinople. In the 12th century however, the city of Damascus, famous for its textiles, so far outstripped all other places for beauty of design that it gave the cloth its modern name.

Damask weaves in linen, cotton, synthetic or blended fibers are currently most commonly found in table linens. Damask cloths for table or bedding purposes are most commonly made of flax or tow yarns, but sometimes made partly of cotton or synthetic fibers. The finer damask textiles for these purposes are made of the best linen yarn, and although the latter is of a brownish, ecru color during the weaving processes, the ultimate fabric is pure white. The highlights in these cloths are obtained by long floats of warp and weft, and as these are set at right angles, they reflect the light differently according to the angle of the rays of light; the effect changes also with the position of the observer. Subdued effects are produced by shorter floats of yarn, and sometimes by special weaves. Any subject, however intricate, can be copied by this method of weaving, provided that expense is no object. The finest results are obtained when the so-called double damask weaves are used.

Fabric
Woven:	Barkcloth · Batiste · Bemberg · Bombazine · Broadcloth · Burlap · Buckram · Calico · Cambric · Canvas · Chambray · Charmeuse · Cheesecloth · Chiffon · Chino · Cloth of gold · Duck · Coutil · Crape · Denim · Dimity · Dowlas · Drill · Foulard · Flannel · Gabardine · Gauze · Gingham · Haircloth · Harris Tweed · Hodden · Irish linen · Jamdani · Kente cloth · Lamé · Lawn · Linsey-woolsey · Loden · Madras · Moleskin · Muslin · Ninon · Oilskin · Organdy · Organza · Osnaburg · Oxford · Percale · Poplin · Rep · Ripstop · Ripstop nylon · Russell cord · Sateen · Satin · Scarlet · Seersucker · Serge · Stuff · Taffeta · Tweed · Twill · Viyella
Figured woven:	Brocade · Camlet · Damask · Songket
Pile woven:	Baize · Chenille · Corduroy · Fustian · Plush · Polar fleece · Terrycloth · Velours du Kasaï · Velvet · Velveteen · Zibeline
Nonwoven:	Felt · Nonwovens
Knitted:	Coolmax · Machine knitting · Velour
Netted:	Net · Bobbinet · Carbon fiber · Fishnet · Lace · Mesh · Needlerun Net · Ninon · Tulle
Technical:	Goretex · Smartwool · Silnylon · Spandex · SympaTex
Patterns:	Herringbone · Houndstooth · Paisley · Plaid · Tartan · Toile · Argyle
Textile fibers:	Acrylic · Alpaca · Angora · Asbestos · Carbon Fiber · Cashmere · Catgut · Chamois · Coir · Cotton · Hemp · Jute · Kevlar · Linen · Mohair · Nylon · Microfibre · Olefin · Pashmina · Polyester · Piña · Ramie · Rayon · Silk · Sinew · Sisal · Spandex · Spider silk · Wool
Finishing and printing:	Batik · Bògòlanfini · Fulling · Mercerization  · Watered silk
Related:	Dyeing · Fiber · History of textiles · History of silk · Knitting · Terminology · Manufacturing · Preservation · Weaving · Yarn

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Dansk (Danish)
n. - damask, damaskdug, damascenerstål
adj. - damask-, damaskvævet, damaskroserød
v. tr. - damaskvæve, damascere

Nederlands (Dutch)
damast(en), Damascener (staal), lichtrood

Français (French)
n. - damas, soie damassée, acier damassé
adj. - damassé, vieux rose, vermeil (littér)
v. tr. - damasser

Deutsch (German)
n. - Damast (Stoff), Damast-Stahl, Damast (rosa Farbe)
adj. - damasten
v. - damaszieren, mit Damast behängen

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - δαμασκηνό ύφασμα ή ατσάλι, δαμάσκο
adj. - ροδαλός, δαμασκηνός, με στιλπνά κυματοειδή σχέδια

Italiano (Italian)
damasco

Português (Portuguese)
n. - damasco (m) (Tecido)
adj. - rosado

Русский (Russian)
дамасская сталь, темно-розовый

Español (Spanish)
n. - damasco, acero damasquino, damasquinado, adamascado, el color de la rosa de Damasco
adj. - damasco, adamascado
v. tr. - damasquinar, adamascar

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - damast
adj. - ljusröd, rosenröd

中文（简体） (Chinese (Simplified))
缎子, 大马士革钢铁, 斜纹布, 淡红色的, 粉红色的, 大马士革钢制的, 花缎制的, 使织出花纹

中文（繁體） (Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 緞子, 大馬士革鋼鐵, 斜紋布
adj. - 淡紅色的, 粉紅色的, 大馬士革鋼製的, 花緞製的
v. tr. - 使織出花紋

한국어 (Korean)
n. - 다마스크[천], 다마스크 강철, 담홍색
adj. - 다마스크[천]의, 다마스크 강철의
v. tr. - 무늬를 나타내다, 문직으로 하다, (얼굴을) 붉히다

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - ダマスク織, ダマスク織の絹布

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) قماش من الحرير أو الكتان عليه أشكال منسوجه مرئيه من جهتي القماش, الفولاذ الدمشقي, أحمر ضارب الى الرمادي (صفه) مصنوع من قماش الحرير أو الكتان عليه أشكال منسوجه مرئيه من وجهي القماش, لونه أحمر ضارب الى رمادي‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮אריג מעוטר, בד משי, פלדת דמשק‬
adj. - ‮דמשקי, ורוד, מעוטר, בנוסח אמנות דמשק‬
v. tr. - ‮ארג עם קיוטי דמויות‬

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