GAUZE

light, open-weave fabric made of cotton when used for surgical dressings and of silk and other fibres when used for dress trimming. The name is derived from that of the Palestinian city of Gaza, where the fabric is thought to have originated. It is made either by a plain weave or by a leno weave. Similar fabrics include cheesecloth, made of cotton, originally used as a wrapping for pressed cheese and now used in bookbinding, as reinforcing in paper where high strength is desired, and for dustcloths and the like; bunting, made of cotton or wool, dyed and used for flags and decorations; scrim, made of cotton and used for curtains; and tobacco cloth, used as shade covering for tobacco plants. The main differences between them are in the finishing (for example, cheesecloth that is bleached and stiffened may be called scrim) and in the quality of the fibre (tobacco cloth is commonly made of low-grade yarns). Metal wires and plastic filaments are woven into gauzes and used as window screens and filters. See also crinoline.