Gauze is a thin, translucent fabric with a loose open weave.
[edit] Etymology
Gauze was traditionally woven in Palestine and the etymology of the English word derives from the place name for Gaza (Arabic: غزة ghazza), a center of weaving in the region.[1][2] Despite a prohibition on trade with non-Christians from religious authorities in medieval Europe, a fine type of silk known as gazzatum was imported from Gaza as early as the 13th century.[3] Though members of religious orders in Europe were forbidden to wear it, the fabric won a place for itself and emerged into modern life as gauze.[3] Hence also the French: gaze, and the Spanish: gasa.[4]
[edit] Uses and types
Gauze was originally made of silk and was used for clothing. It is now used for many different things, including gauze sponges for medical purposes. When used as a medical dressing, gauze is generally made of cotton. It is especially useful for dressing wounds where other fabrics might stick to the burn or laceration. Many modern medical gauzes are covered with a plastic porous film such as Telfa or a polyblend which prevents direct contact and further minimizes wound adhesion. In film and theatre, gauze is often fashioned into a scrim.
Modern gauze is also made of synthetic fibers, especially when used in clothing. It can also be made of metal, such as a wire gauze placed on top of a Bunsen burner, used in a safety lamp or spark arrestor, or used as a fence.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Skeat, 1993, p. 172.
- ^ McCarthy et al., 1997, p. 30.
- ^ a b Garrison, 2008, p. 261.
- ^ Taylor, 2005, p. 288.
[edit] Bibliography
- Garrison, Webb B. (2008), Why You Say It, READ BOOKS, ISBN 144373182X, 9781443731829, http://books.google.ca/books?id=iFZi9EXyXrwC&pg=PA261&dq=gauze++etymology++persian&lr=&as_brr=3
- McCarthy, Michael; O'Dell, Felicity; Shaw, Ellen (1997), Vocabulary in use: upper intermediate : reference and practice for students of North American English (Illustrated ed.), Cambridge University Press, ISBN 0521577683, 9780521577687, http://books.google.ca/books?id=P7OxIBV7VDQC&pg=PA30&dq=gauze+gaza&lr=&as_brr=3
- Skeat, Walter W. (1993), The concise dictionary of English etymology (Reprint ed.), Wordsworth Editions, ISBN 1853263117, 9781853263118, http://books.google.ca/books?id=aDhGlKL3h00C&pg=PA172&dq=gauze++etymology&lr=&as_brr=3
- Taylor, Isaac (2005), Words and Places Or Etymological Illustrations of History, Ethnology and Geography, Kessinger Publishing, ISBN 1417971576, 9781417971572, http://books.google.ca/books?id=x-4rutCY2csC&pg=PA288&dq=gauze++etymology+spanish&lr=&as_brr=3
[edit] External links
