silk

[ silk ]

noun

1. the soft, lustrous fiber obtained as a filament from the cocoon of the silkworm.
2. thread made from this fiber.
3. cloth made from this fiber.
4. a garment of this cloth.
5. a gown of such material worn distinctively by a King's or Queen's Counsel at the English bar.
6. silks, the blouse and peaked cap, considered together, worn by a jockey or sulky driver in a race.
7. Informal. a parachute, especially one opened aloft.
8. any fiber or filamentous matter resembling silk, as a filament produced by certain spiders, the thread of a mollusk, or the like.
9. the hairlike styles on an ear of corn.
10. British Informal.
    1. a King's or Queen's Counsel.
    2. any barrister of high rank.

adjective

1. made of silk.
2. resembling silk; silky.
3. of or relating to silk.

verb (used without object)

1. (of corn) to be in the course of developing silk.

silk

/ sɪlk /

noun

1. the very fine soft lustrous fibre produced by a silkworm to make its cocoon
2. 1. thread or fabric made from this fibre
   2. ( as modifier )

      a silk dress

3. a garment made of this
4. a very fine fibre produced by a spider to build its web, nest, or cocoon
5. the tuft of long fine styles on an ear of maize
6. 1. the gown worn by a Queen's (or King's) Counsel
   2. a Queen's (or King's) Counsel
   3. to become a Queen's (or King's) Counsel

verb

1. intr (of maize) to develop long hairlike styles

silk

/ sĭlk /

1. A fiber produced by silkworms to form cocoons. Silk is strong, flexible, and fibrous, and is essentially a long continuous strand of protein. It is widely used to make thread and fabric.
2. A substance similar to the silk of the silkworm but produced by other insect larvae or by spiders to spin webs.

Derived Forms

• ˈsilkˌlike, adjective

Other Words From

• silklike adjective
• half-silk adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of silk¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English noun selk, seolk, solk, Old English sioloc, seol(o)c (cognate with Old Norse silki, Norwegian, Swedish, and Danish silke, but not found in other Germanic languages), by uncertain transmission from Latin sērica, noun use of neuter plural adjective sēricus, or from Greek sērikón “silk,” noun use of neuter of sērikós “silken,” literally, “Chinese,” derivative of Latin Sēres, Greek Sêres “the Chinese”; Germanic, Slavic ( Old Church Slavonic shelkŭ, Russian shëlk ) and Baltic ( Lithuanian šilkai ) all show unexplained change of r to l ); seric-

Word History and Origins

Origin of silk¹

Old English sioluc; compare Old Norse silki, Greek sērikon, Korean sir; all ultimately from Chinese ssǔ silk

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. hit the silk, Slang. to parachute from an aircraft; bail out.
2. take silk, British. to become a Queen's or King's Counsel.

More idioms and phrases containing silk

see can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear ; smooth as silk .

Example Sentences

Much of Hydra’s interface would have looked familiar to anyone who’s used the dark web marketplace Silk Road or its myriad knock-off clones: you can glance through the forums and customer reviews to check which pills and powders will rock your socks off and which will leave you feeling worse than Uma Thurman in “Pulp Fiction.”

From Salon

EWP magically brings this series of Sondheim-infused silk screens to life.

From Los Angeles Times

“This silk vest I have had for as long as I can remember in my adult life. It was given to me by my auntie,” says Snell.

From Los Angeles Times

When the four-time Academy Award nominee moves to the music in her two films this season, the fabric of a blue-striped dress or a vintage silk black top with a rose print becomes one with the choreography.

From Los Angeles Times

Rona wears the ’30s silk tank when a dreamy summer day morphs into first kisses at a nightclub — before benders and breakups.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• fiber
• taffeta
• thread
• tulle