Meanings
nounlinsey-woolsey (countable and uncountable, plural linsey-woolseys)
plural linsey-woolseys
- countableuncountableA fabric made of both linen and wool.
I had as lieue haue no ſunne, as haue it ſhine faintly, no fire, as a ſmothering fire of ſmall coales, no cloathes, rather then vveare linſey vvolſey.
1599, [Thomas] Nashe, “To His Readers, Hee Cares Not What They Be”, in Nashes Lenten Stuffe, […], London: […] [Thomas Judson and Valentine Simmes] for N[icholas] L[ing] and C[uthbert] B[urby] […], →OCLC - archaiccountablefigurativelyuncountableWorthless material; nonsense; gibberish.
[W]hat linsey-woolsey hast thou to speak […]
c. 1604–1605 (date written), William Shakespeare, “All’s Well, that Ends Well”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene i]
Synonyms & antonyms
Origin
Diminutive of linen and wool. See -y, -ey.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Danish thirumtej
- thirumtejfabric made of both linen and wool
French tiretaine
- tiretainefabric made of both linen and wool
German Beiderwand, Beidergemeng
- Beiderwandfabric made of both linen and wool
- Beidergemengfabric made of both linen and wool
- Halbwollenlamafabric made of both linen and wool
Hebrew שַׁעַטְנֵז
- שַׁעַטְנֵז (shaʿatnez)fabric made of both linen and wool
Cite this entry
APA
linsey-woolsey. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/linsey-woolsey
MLA
“linsey-woolsey.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/linsey-woolsey. Accessed November 4, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “linsey-woolsey,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/linsey-woolsey.
Source: linsey-woolsey on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.