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prettygoodwordcoir (KOIR) - n., fiber from the husk of coconuts, used in making rope, matting, brushes, and so on.
Not the thick outer husk, but the fibers between that and the coconut shell. The fibers are relatively waterproof, and are one of the few natural fibers resistant to saltwater damage, thus their ancient use for ropes on ships. (I came across the word in Water Margin, in which a character appears in the rain with a coir cape or raincoat.) It is also rather stiff and coarse, so not generally used for clothing that touches the skin, if you can avoid it. Adopted around 1580 from Malayalam kāyaṟ, cord, from kāyaru, to be twisted -- replacing a previous adoption of cairo via Portuguese from its Tamil cognate kayiṟu, rope.
---L.
Not the thick outer husk, but the fibers between that and the coconut shell. The fibers are relatively waterproof, and are one of the few natural fibers resistant to saltwater damage, thus their ancient use for ropes on ships. (I came across the word in Water Margin, in which a character appears in the rain with a coir cape or raincoat.) It is also rather stiff and coarse, so not generally used for clothing that touches the skin, if you can avoid it. Adopted around 1580 from Malayalam kāyaṟ, cord, from kāyaru, to be twisted -- replacing a previous adoption of cairo via Portuguese from its Tamil cognate kayiṟu, rope.
---L.
