Etymology From Madras, former name of the Indian city Chennai, where it was first produced.
1
A brightly colored cotton fabric with a checked or striped pattern.
A black woman in blue cotton gown, red-and-yellow Madras turban […] crouched against the wall.1887, G. W. Cable, “Au Large”, in Scribner's Monthly, volume 35, page 90:
The service makes available, during limited weekend hours, a handful of the company’s items—cargo shorts, tank tops, and the like—to the Hamptons house guest who discovers that he can’t make it to Monday without purchasing one of those weird madras patchwork blazers2004 August 30, The New Yorker, page 38:
1 more example
In one area, however, I stick close to my roots: an unreconstructed loved of madras cloth. Madras (pronounced, in the US, with the emphasis on the first syllable) is a lightweight carded cotton cloth with a bright plaid pattern, first produced in and named for the Indian city now known as Chennai.2023 June 10, Robert Armstrong, “Check yourself: why I love madras cloth”, in FT Weekend (Life & Arts section), London: The Financial Times Ltd., →ISSN, →OCLC, page 4:
2
A large handkerchief of this fabric, worn on the head in the West Indies.
3
Alternative Alternative form of Madras (“type of curry”).
Gerry ordered poppadoms and parathas and then he was interrupted by requests for vindaloos, chicken madrases and sag joshes, rice, raita and nan, from Priest, Morgan and Maria Grazia.2002, Desmond Barry, A Bloody Good Friday, page 157:
Madras
noun
UK /məˈdɹæs/
Etymology The etymology is uncertain; it may derive from Madraspattinam. See Wikipedia for several possible etymologies.
1
UK A style of curry dish purported to originate from the Madras region.