stroud

9.9

A coarse wool cloth used in trade for furs with Native American people

noun
/straʊd/

Archaic

: stroud

The Native Americans traded animal pelts for stroud with European settlers.

Examples

In the past, stroud was commonly used to make blankets and clothing.
There is a direct line of descent from woven cedar bark robes to wool, to traded stroud cloth, to felt, to silk.

Academic text (1994)
The museum displayed various items made from stroud, highlighting its historical significance.

Synonyms

sackcloth

vsstroud

Archaic

5 9.9

A rough cloth worn to show sorrow or regret

is instead known for commercial trade use, not for mourning or religious garments

sailcloth

vsstroud

1 5.5

Strong, heavy fabric used to make sails and tents

is a woolen trade fabric used historically for exchange with Native peoples

stammel

vsstroud

Archaic

9.9

A rough wool cloth dyed bright red that people once used for simple clothes

is primarily known from historic trade with Native Americans rather than red garments

burnet

vsstroud

Archaic

9.9

A thick wool cloth once used to make warm clothes and furniture covers

is associated more with trade use among specific groups than general clothing use

packcloth

vsstroud

Archaic

6.7

A strong rough cloth used for making bags or tents

is instead linked to historic textile trade with Native American communities

salempore

vsstroud

Archaic

9.9

A rough cotton cloth from India used for simple clothes

is woolen and tied to trade with Native Americans rather than Indian cotton production

Surface Forms

stroud singular

strouds plural

Etymology

Stroud comes from the English town of Stroud, which long ago was famous for making a coarse, bright wool cloth. Traders often used this strong cloth in exchange with Native American groups, so stroud came to mean that kind of 'trade cloth' today.