osnaburg, n. and adj.
Forms:
α. lME osburgh, 15 osburne, 15 osburow, 16 ossenburg, 17– osnaburg, 17– osnaburgh; N. Amer. and U.S. regional 17 ozenberg, 17 oznaburgh, 17 oznarburgh, 17– oznaburg, 18 anznaburgh, 19– ausenberg, 19– ausenburg, 19– orsanberg, 19– orsenberg, 19– os'enberg; Sc. 17 ozenburgh, 17– osnaburg, 17– osnaburgh, 17– oznaburgh, 18 ozanburg.
β. 15 osenbreg, 15 ossenbrydge, 15 ossunbregge, 15 ostenbrig, 15 ozenbridg, 15 ozenbrig, 15–16 ozenbridge, 16 osenbridge, 16 osenbrig, 16 osimbreeke, 16 ossenbridge, 16 ozenbrick, 16 ussembrig, 17 ossinbrig, 17 ozembrig, 17 ozinbrig, 19– osnabrück; N. Amer. and U.S. regional 16 osnabrigg, 16–17 19– ozenbrig, 17 osnabrig, 17 osnabrug, 17 osombridge, 17 ozenbridge, 17 oznabrig, 18 osnbrig; Sc. 17– osnabrig, 18 osenbrug.
Also with capital initial.(Show Less)Origin: From a proper name. Etymon: proper name Osnaburg.
Etymology: < Osnaburg, the former English name of a town (German Osnabrück) in north-western Germany, noted for its manufacture of linen.
Forms in -bridge (and variants; compare β forms) represent a literal rendering of German -brück.
Now chiefly U.S.
A. n.
As a mass noun: a kind of coarse linen (and later cotton) cloth originally made at Osnabrück, used esp. for making rough hard-wearing clothing, or for furnishings, sacks, tents, etc. As a count noun (usually in pl., sometimes treated as sing.): a quantity of this; (also) an item or items made of such cloth, esp. (formerly) clothing given to servants or slaves.
1448 Plea & Mem. Rolls London Guildhall no. A74.8r (MED)
An half of the seid troy weyght ffor ix bales ffustyans callid Osburghs, euery bale conteynyng xlv half pecis ffustyans.
1545 Rates Custome House sig. cj
Osenbreges the roule x.l.
1554–5 in R. Willis & J. W. Clark Archit. Hist. Univ. Cambr.
(1886)
III. 363
ix yeardes of Ossenbrydge for a towell to the hye tabyll, iiijs. vjd.
1694 Narbrough's Acct. Several Late Voy. 2
Cloth, Osenbrigs, Tobacco.
1694–5 in M. Cash Devon Inventories 16th & 17th Cent.
(1966)
164
Of broad Cheese Cloath—21 yards of barrows..72 yards of broad Osimbreeke.
1732 in Colonial Rec. Pennsylvania
(1852)
III. 430
That to each there be given a couple of Shirts, a Jackett and two pair of trowsers of Oznabrigs.
1757 G. Washington Let. in Writings
(1889)
I. 490
I..beg the favor of you to choose me about 250 yds. osnabrigs.
1771 Information conc. Province N. Carolina
When they do not chuse money, their masters give Osnaburgs, negro cloths, caps, hats, handerchiefs, pipes, and knives.
1799 J. Robertson Gen. View Agric. Perth 381
In some of the villages of the Carse of Gowrie, the inhabitants manufacture osnaburgs.
1827 O. W. Roberts Narr. Voy. Central Amer. 36
In exchange we gave them ravenduck, osnaburg, checks, blue-baftas and other manufactured goods.
1866 C. Sievwright Sough 94
Eppie, too, keeps an ozanburg aye upon hand.
1917 J. Hergesheimer Three Black Pennys
(1918)
38
Tobacco and shoes, ozenbrigs and molasses and rum.
1938 M. K. Rawlings Yearling xi. 110
Beyond the utensils were the dress goods; calico and Osnaburg, denim and shoddy, domestic and homespun.
1949 V. S. Reid New Day i. i. 9
Thirst and hunger walk through our land, four hundred thousand people have no osnaburgs to their backs.
1959 M. D. Potter & B. P. Corbman Fiber to Fabric
(ed. 3)
ix. 153
When made of waste mixed with low~grade cotton it is known as part-waste osnaburg.
1984 Sears, Roebuck Catal. Spring–Summer 1124
Easy-care fabric of subtly textured cotton osnaburg.
1991 Jrnl. Amer. Hist. 78 501
Richard Henderson sold osnaburgs at Boonesborough in 1775.
1448—1991(Hide quotations)
B. adj. (attrib.).
Designating this cloth; (also) made of osnaburg.
1681 in Rec. Court of New Castle on Delaware
(1904)
493
Twoo Remnants of Osnabriggs Linnen.
1704 Boston News-let. 19 June 2/2
A tall lusty Indian Man.., with a black Hat, brown Ozenbridge Breeches and a Jacket.
1758 in Essex Inst. Historical Coll.
(1874)
XII. 145
Others very much soaked in their Osombrige Tents.
1774 in Maryland Hist. Mag.
(1911)
6 41
John Johnson..had on..a pair of leather breeches and osnabrig trousers.
1813 J. Taylor Arator 137
A regular supply of a winter's coat,..two oznaburg shirts, a good hat and blanket.
1841 Southern Lit. Messenger 7 775/2
Our slaves in the South-West are annually supplied with two cotton Oznaburg shirts.
1863 ‘E. Kirke’ My Southern Friends vii. 99
The thin Osnaburg gown.
1949 V. S. Reid New Day i. ii. 14
She puts on me the osnaburg pantaloons which are too short for Zekiel.
1995 J. D. Fudge Cargoes, Embargoes, & Emissaries 30
To England, they brought costly silk, linen, thread and buckram, Osnabrück cloth, [etc.].
1998 J. C. Penney Home Coll. Catal. 45
100% cotton osnaburg fabric for a natural look.
1681—1998(Hide quotations)