BUCKRAM

starchy, stiff, buckram

(adjective) rigidly formal; “a starchy manner”; “the letter was stiff and formal”; “his prose has a buckram quality”

buckram

(noun) a coarse cotton fabric stiffened with glue; used in bookbinding and to stiffen clothing

buckram

(verb) stiffen with or as with buckram; “buckram the skirt”

Source: WordNet® 3.1

Etymology 1

Noun

buckram (usually uncountable, plural buckrams)

A coarse cloth of cotton, linen or hemp, stiffened with size or glue, used in bookbinding to cover and protect the books, in garments to keep them in the form intended, and for wrappers to cover merchandise.

Verb

buckram (third-person singular simple present buckrams, present participle buckraming, simple past and past participle buckrammed or buckramed)

(transitive) To stiffen with or as if with buckram.

Etymology 2

Noun

buckram (plural buckrams)

A plant, Allium ursinum, also called ramson, wild garlic, or bear garlic.

Source: Wiktionary

Buck"ram, n. Etym: [OE. bokeram, bougeren, OF. boqueran, F. bougran, MHG. buckeram, LL. buchiranus, boquerannus, fr. MHG. boc, G. bock, goat (as being made of goat's hair), or fr. F. bouracan, by transposing the letter r. See Buck, Barracan.]

1. A coarse cloth of linen or hemp, stiffened with size or glue, used in garments to keep them in the form intended, and for wrappers to cover merchandise.

Note: Buckram was formerly a very different material from that now known by the name. It was used for wearing apparel, etc. Beck (Draper's Dict. ).

2. (Bot.)

Definition: A plant. See Ramson. Dr. Prior.

Buck"ram, a.

1. Made of buckram; as, a buckram suit.

2. Stiff; precise. "Buckram dames." Brooke.

Buck"ram, v. t.

Definition: To strengthen with buckram; to make stiff. Cowper.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition