silk

American  

[silk] / sɪlk /

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.

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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.

idioms

1. take silk, to become a Queen's or King's Counsel.

2. hit the silk, to parachute from an aircraft; bail out.

silk British  

/ 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. informal a Queen's (or King's) Counsel

   3. to become a Queen's (or King's) Counsel

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verb

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

silk Scientific  

/ 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.

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silk More Idioms  

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

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Other Word Forms

• half-silk adjective
• silklike adjective

Etymology

Origin of silk

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-

Explanation

Silk is a very smooth, light fabric that's usually made of fibers from silkworm cocoons. Your sister might decide to wear a white dress made of silk to her wedding. Silk is often an expensive kind of fabric from which fancy curtains and upholstery are made, as well as clothing. Things made of silk are soft and satiny, and they usually have an almost glossy sheen. The word silk has an Old English root, sioloc, from Sēres, the Greek word for people from the region in Asia where silk was first made.

Example Sentences

A forkful should reveal layers — firmness, silk, softness — not one uniform paste.

From Salon • Apr. 14, 2026

The service asked people not to drive near the former silk mill as it was "making things difficult", and warned residents to keep windows and doors shut.

From BBC • Mar. 28, 2026

"There are even some rather moving, rather touching details -- namely, its silk lining shows clear signs of perspiration," he said.

From Barron's • Mar. 26, 2026

The bias-cut silk slip has remained a source of inspiration for generations of brides since, and has been making waves again thanks to the FX series “Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette.”

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 5, 2026

The lady wore a long fur coat, the gentleman a gleaming silk top hat.

From "The Long-Lost Home" by Maryrose Wood

Related Words

• fiber
• taffeta
• thread
• tulle