The term gauze was first documented in the English language in a 1561 inventory of the Royal Wardrobe, spelled as gais. Over the next two centuries, it was alternatively written as gadze or gawze, before finally settling on gauze as the standard term. Its usage reached its peak during World War I and saw a resurgence during World War II. The word originates from the French term gaze, with an uncertain etymology. One theory suggests it may have derived from the Arabic word qazz, meaning “silk”, which itself may have roots in Persian and Middle Persian with the same meaning. Alternatively, it could have been named after the city of Gaza in Israel/Palestine, historically associated with silk production. This theory links the word to the Hebrew word az, meaning “strength”.
