qiviut

[prettygoodword]

qiviut (KEE-vee-oot) - n., the underwool of the musk ox.


Valued as a fiber for clothing because it is warm and does not shrink in water. And since musk oxen are not commonly bred outside the Arctic, rather expensive. Adopted around 1958 from Inuktitut, where it means something more like undercoat and can also refer to the down of birds.

---L.

Comments

[flwyd.livejournal.com]

That word's almost designed to make the best out of an awkward Scrabble hand.

[prettygoodword.livejournal.com]

Except if you have the Q and U already, you can probably do something better anyway.

---L.