Definition

Noun: 1. A specific shade of green dye: Kendal green is a green dye historically obtained from the woad plant (Isatis tinctoria), often used for coloring woolen cloth. 2. A green-colored cloth: The term can also refer to the woolen cloth itself that has been dyed with this specific green color.

Usage Notes

• "Kendal green" is a historical and specific term. It is not a general term for the color green.
• It is primarily used as a compound noun. The word "Kendal" is capitalized as it originates from the town of Kendal in Cumbria, England, which was a center for the production of this dye and cloth.
• It is most commonly encountered in historical, textile, or literary contexts.

Examples

• The forester's hood and tunic were made of durable Kendal green.
• The traditional recipe for Kendal green used woad and another yellow dye.
• In Shakespeare's , Falstaff refers to his men as "rogues in Kendal green."

Advanced Usage

• The term can be used attributively (functioning like an adjective before another noun) to describe items of this color, e.g., "a Kendal-green cloak."

Variants and Related Words

• Lincoln green: Another historically significant green cloth, often associated with foresters like Robin Hood. It is a related but distinct term from Kendal green.
• Woad: (noun) The plant from which the blue dye for making Kendal green was historically derived.

Synonyms

• Forest green (in a modern, descriptive sense, though not historically accurate as a direct synonym)
• Green cloth (a very general term)

Notes on Different Meanings

The term has two closely related meanings: 1. The dye substance (a material). 2. The finished cloth colored with that dye (a material or an item of clothing).

Both meanings are tied to the specific historical production method and color associated with the town of Kendal.

Noun

1. a green dye, often used to color cloth, which is obtained from the woad plant