ramie

[ ram-ee, rey-mee ]

noun

1. an Asian shrub, Boehmeria nivea, of the nettle family, yielding a fiber used especially in making textiles.
2. the fiber itself.

ramie

/ ˈræmɪ /

noun

1. a woody urticaceous shrub of Asia, Boehmeria nivea , having broad leaves and a stem that yields a flaxlike fibre
2. the fibre from this plant, used in making fabrics, cord, etc

Word History and Origins

Origin of ramie¹

First recorded in 1810–20, ramie is from the Malay word rami a kind of grass

Word History and Origins

Origin of ramie¹

C19: from Malay rami

Example Sentences

The classic semiformal hanbok worn today, made from fine silk and ramie in an array of colors, is largely derived from styles worn by royalty and upper classes in the late Joseon era.

From New York Times

Its ramie fabric industry declined, with most of South Korea’s clothes now imported or made of synthetic materials.

From New York Times

She spent her childhood collecting sea mustard, raising silkworms and harvesting ramie plants.

From New York Times

Ash Arder’s sound piece evokes a failed 19th-century trial of machines designed to strip ramie fiber so it could used for textiles.

From Washington Post

The frame is further strengthened and the balloons stayed by a network of aluminium wire, and the entire frame covered with a soft ramie fibre.

From Project Gutenberg