Caddis

//ˈkædɪs// noun

noun ·Rare ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    The larva of a caddis fly. They generally live in cylindrical cases, open at each end, and covered externally with debris. countable, uncountable
  2. 2
    A rough woolen cloth; caddice. countable, uncountable
  3. 3
    A kind of worsted lace or ribbon. countable, uncountable

    "Hee hath Ribbons of all the colours i’ th Rainebow; Points, more then all the Lawyers in Bohemia, can learnedly handle, though they come to him by th’ grosse: Inckles, Caddysses, Cambrickes, Lawnes:"

Example

More examples

"Hee hath Ribbons of all the colours i’ th Rainebow; Points, more then all the Lawyers in Bohemia, can learnedly handle, though they come to him by th’ grosse: Inckles, Caddysses, Cambrickes, Lawnes:"

Etymology

Etymology 1

Unknown. See dialect forms caddew, caddy, cad-bait.

Etymology 2

From Middle French cadis, from Old French cadaz, from Old Occitan, from Old Catalan cadirs, cadins.

Related phrases

caddis fly

More for "caddis"

SynonymsSentencesPronunciationTranslate

Next best steps

Find stronger synonymsSee usage examplesCheck pronunciationBrowse writing guides

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.