kaross, noun

/kəˈrɒs/
Forms:
α. cross, kross;
β. carass, carossShow more carass, caross, carosse, carross, corrass, corrose, karoos, karos, kaross, karosse, karraos, karros, karross, kerose.
Origin:
South African Dutch, KhoikhoiShow more South African Dutch, from Khoikhoi caro-s, karo-s, cro-s, kro-s skin blanket, perhaps diminutive form of kho-b skin.
1. A blanket of softened skins, used both as a cloak and (now more usually) as a covering for a bed or floor; ingubo sense 1; kobo; kombers sense 1; velkombers. Also figurative.
α.
[1731 G. Medley tr. of P. Kolben’s Present State of Cape of G.H. I. 187Their Krosses (as the Hottentots term ’em) or Mantles cover the Trunks of their Bodies...They wear ’em the Year round; in Winter turning the hairy side inward; in Summer turning it outward. They lie upon ’em at Nights. And, when they die, they are tied up and interr’d in ’em.]
1776 F. Masson in Phil. Trans. of Royal Soc. LXVI. 295These Hottentots were all cloathed in crosses, or mantles, made of the hides of oxen, which they dress in a particular manner, making them as pliant as a piece of cloth: they wore the hairy side outwards.
1786 G. Forster tr. of A. Sparrman’s Voy. to Cape of G.H. II. 187The Hottentots do not burden themselves with a great many changes of these cloaks or krosses, (as they call them in broken Dutch).
1790 tr. of F. Le Vaillant’s Trav. I. 386I awoke, and went to visit my Gonaquas, who were all sunk in profound sleep, huddled together under their krosses.
1790 W. Paterson Narr. of Four Journeys 115We found..a few skins of Seals, which are used for garments, and called Kerose.
1810 G. Barrington Acct of Voy. 231Their (sc. the Greater Nimiquas’) garment called a kross, except being longer, differs not at all in shape from the Hottentot cloak.
1839 F. Marryat Phantom Ship (Chapter X)They wore not their sheepskin krosses.
a1858 J. Goldswain Chron. (1949) I. 112The Kaffer saw that he was nearley over taken run into a rownd bush and thrue his cross onto a bush.
β.
1786 G. Forster tr. of A. Sparrman’s Voy. to Cape of G.H. I. 188The women have a long peak to their karosses.
1822 S. Heckford Lady Trader in Tvl 295The dark and dirty room was furnished with two or three chairs, a little table, and a common bedstead, on which were thrown a mattress, some gaudy blankets, and a ‘caross’, or large mat made of skins curiously stitched together, with the hair left on.
a1827 D. Carmichael in W.J. Hooker Botanical Misc. (1831) II. 287The mantle, or kaross, is usually made of calves’ skins stitched together, and pared round the skirts into the shape of a blanket.
1836 C.L. Stretch Journal. 26 Mar.After the war he sent his thanks to Mr. Bonabe for hiding them under ‘his Karraos’.
1841 B. Shaw Memorials 298He was sleeping a few yards from his master, in the usual mode of his nation, wrapped in his sheep-skin carosse, with his face to the ground.
1852 A.W. Cole Cape & Kafirs 176The proper dress of a Kafir chief is a Kaross of leopard skin.
1874 A.O. Wood Letter. 26 JulyYou can buy nice Corroses for 15/- up here, for 6 sheep skins they will give you one.
1884 B. Adams Narr. (1941) 68On leaving, Mr Webster made me a present of a very handsome kaross — a number of skins sewn together.
1892 W.L. Distant Naturalist in Tvl 12A buckskin kaross kept them warm or provided the substitute for a carpet, whilst the same animals provided them with covering for furniture.
1905 O.E.A. Schreiner in C. Clayton Woman’s Rose (1986) 114His mother was making him shirts and his grandmother was having a kaross of jackals’ skin made that he might take it with him to Europe where it was so cold.
1927 C.G. Botha Social Life in Cape Col. 93Instead of woollen blankets fur karosses, made from the skins of wild animals, were used and feather beds in place of hair mattresses.
1941 A. Gordon-Brown Narr. of Private Buck Adams 68Kaross, a skin blanket. Practically the only article of clothing worn by the raw native.
1955 V.M. Fitzroy Dark Bright Land 16A coverlid of deerskin called a carosse.
1978 Sunday Times 2 Apr. 14The donors of cured skins and karrosses to the former Minister of Bantu Administration..must have been..relieved to read his..denial of claims..that he had been asked to sell them on behalf of the former Minister.
1988 P. Edgar in Personality 25 July 69If it were not for these two men and myself, those cows would have ended up as karosses for some dusky maidens in Xhosaland by now.
2. obsolete. With distinguishing epithets designating smaller skins used to cover the pubic area, as fore kaross, hind kaross, kull kaross, kut kaross. Cf. apron sense 1.
α.
[1731 G. Medley tr. of P. Kolben’s Present State of Cape of G.H. I. 188The Verenda..they cover with what they call a Kull krosse, a square Piece of the Skin of a Wild Beast, generally of a Wild Cat; tied at Top, the hairy Side outward, by Two Strings, one at each Corner, going round the Waste.]
[1731 G. Medley tr. of P. Kolben’s Present State of Cape of G.H. I. 191They cover the Pudenda with what they call a Kut-Krosse. This is always of Sheep-Skin, stript of the Wool or Hair; and is at least Three Times bigger than the Kull Krosse of the Men.]
β.
1822 W.J. Burchell Trav. I. 395These aprons, which they distinguish into fore-kaross and hind-kaross, and which are tied just over the hips, are their only permanent clothing.
A blanket of softened skins, used both as a cloak and (now more usually) as a covering for a bed or floor; ingubo sense 1; kobo; kombers sense 1; velkombers. Also figurative.
With distinguishing epithets designating smaller skins used to cover the pubic area, as fore kaross, hind kaross, kull kaross, kut kaross.
Derivatives:
Hence karossed adjective, dressed in a kaross.
1992 L. Van Hoven in S. Afr. Panorama Nov.–Dec. 66 (caption)Karossed figures.
Entry Navigation

Visualise Quotations

Quotation summary

Senses

17311992

Derivatives

karossed

Browse Related Words

By Category

Household Items
Clothing Fabrics and Jewellery

By Origin

Khoi Nama and San Languages

By Usage

figurative or allusive
obsolete or obsolescent
Karoo cottage, noun phrasen. phr.karper, nounn.
Copyright © 2025 Dictionary Unit for South African English