Pronunciation:
[kazh-meer, kash-]

 
Origin:
1684, old spelling of Kashmir, Himalayan kingdom where wool was obtained from long-haired goats. As a name for this kind of woolen fabric, favored for shawls, etc., or for the shawls themselves, it is attested from 1822.

Definition:
The extremely soft hair of the Cashmere goat. Cashmere is often blended with sheep's wool in fabrics.