Adjacent Words

Silk definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

SILK, n.
1. The fine soft thread produced by the insect called silk-worm or bombyx. That which we ordinarily call silk, is a thread composed of several finer threads which the worm draws from its bowels, like the web of a spider, and with which the silk-worm envelopes itself, forming what is called a cocoon.
2. Cloth made of silk. In this sense, the word has a plural, silks, denoting different sort and varieties, as black silk, white silk, colored silks.
3. The filiform style of the female flower of maiz, which resembles real silk in fineness and softness. Virginia silk, a plant of the genus Periploca, which climbs and winds about other plants, trees, etc.
SILK, a. Pertaining to silk; consisting of silk.
SILK COTTEN-TREE, n. A tree of the genus Bombax, growing to an immense size; a native of both the Indies.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: a fabric made from the fine threads produced by certain insect larvae
2: animal fibers produced by silkworms and other larvae that spin cocoons and by most spiders

Merriam Webster's

I. noun Usage: often attributive Etymology: Middle English, from Old English seolc, sioluc, probably ultimately from Greek s?rikos silken — more at sericeous Date: before 12th century 1. a fine continuous protein fiber produced by various insect larvae usually for cocoons; especially a lustrous tough elastic fiber produced by silkworms and used for textiles 2. thread, yarn, or fabric made from silk filaments 3. a. a garment of silk b. (1) a distinctive silk gown worn by a King's or Queen's Counsel (2) a King's or Queen's Counsel c. plural the colored cap and blouse of a jockey or harness horse driver made in the registered racing color of the employing stable 4. a. a filament resembling silk; especially one produced by a spider b. silky material <milkweed silk>; especially the styles of an ear of Indian corn 5. parachute • silklike adjective II. intransitive verb Date: 1783 of corn to develop the silk

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. 1 a fine strong soft lustrous fibre produced by silkworms in making cocoons. 2 a similar fibre spun by some spiders etc. 3 thread or cloth made from silk fibre. 4 (in pl.) kinds of silk cloth or garments made from it, esp. as worn by a jockey in a horse-owner's colours. 5 Brit. colloq. Queen's (or King's) Counsel, as having the right to wear a silk gown. 6 (attrib.) made of silk (silk blouse). 7 the silky styles of the female maize-flower. Phrases and idioms: silk cotton kapok or a similar substance. silk-fowl a breed of fowl with a silky plumage. silk-gland a gland secreting the substance produced as silk. silk hat a tall cylindrical hat covered with silk plush. silk moth any of various large moths of the family Saturniidae, esp. Hyalophora cecropia. silk-screen printing = screen printing. take silk Brit. become a Queen's (or King's) Counsel. Derivatives: silklike adj. Etymology: OE sioloc, seolec (cf. ON silki) f. LL sericum neut. of L sericus f. seres f. Gk Seres an oriental people

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Silk Silk, n. [OE. silk, selk, AS. seolc, seoloc; akin to Icel. silki, SW. & Dan. silke; prob. through Slavic from an Oriental source; cf. Lith. szilkai, Russ. shelk', and also L. sericum Seric stuff, silk. Cf. Sericeous. Serge a woolen stuff.] 1. The fine, soft thread produced by various species of caterpillars in forming the cocoons within which the worm is inclosed during the pupa state, especially that produced by the larv[ae] of Bombyx mori. 2. Hence, thread spun, or cloth woven, from the above-named material. 3. That which resembles silk, as the filiform styles of the female flower of maize. Raw silk, silk as it is wound off from the cocoons, and before it is manufactured. Silk cotton, a cottony substance enveloping the seeds of the silk-cotton tree. Silk-cotton tree (Bot.), a name for several tropical trees of the genera Bombax and Eriodendron, and belonging to the order Bombace[ae]. The trees grow to an immense size, and have their seeds enveloped in a cottony substance, which is used for stuffing cushions, but can not be spun. Silk flower. (Bot.) (a) The silk tree. (b) A similar tree (Calliandra trinervia) of Peru. Silk fowl (Zo["o]l.), a breed of domestic fowls having silky plumage. Silk gland (Zo["o]l.), a gland which secretes the material of silk, as in spider or a silkworm; a sericterium. Silk gown, the distinctive robe of a barrister who has been appointed king's or queen's counsel; hence, the counsel himself. Such a one has precedence over mere barristers, who wear stuff gowns. [Eng.] Silk grass (Bot.), a kind of grass (Stipa comata) of the Western United States, which has very long silky awns. The name is also sometimes given to various species of the genera Aqave and Yucca. Silk moth (Zo["o]l.), the adult moth of any silkworm. See Silkworm. Silk shag, a coarse, rough-woven silk, like plush, but with a stiffer nap. Silk spider (Zo["o]l.), a large spider (Nephila plumipes), native of the Southern United States, remarkable for the large quantity of strong silk it produces and for the great disparity in the sizes of the sexes. Silk thrower, Silk throwster, one who twists or spins silk, and prepares it for weaving. --Brande & C. Silk tree (Bot.), an Asiatic leguminous tree (Albizzia Julibrissin) with finely bipinnate leaves, and large flat pods; -- so called because of the abundant long silky stamens of its blossoms. Also called silk flower. Silk vessel. (Zo["o]l.) Same as Silk gland, above. Virginia silk (Bot.), a climbing plant (Periploca Gr[ae]ca) of the Milkweed family, having a silky tuft on the seeds. It is native in Southern Europe.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Floss Floss (?; 195), n. [It. floscio flabby, soft, fr. L. fluxus flowing, loose, slack. See Flux, n.] 1. (Bot.) The slender styles of the pistillate flowers of maize; also called silk. 2. Untwisted filaments of silk, used in embroidering. Floss silk, silk that has been twisted, and which retains its loose and downy character. It is much used in embroidery. Called also floxed silk. Floss thread, a kind of soft flaxen yarn or thread, used for embroidery; -- called also linen floss, and floss yarn. --McElrath.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(silks) Silk is a substance which is made into smooth fine cloth and sewing thread. You can also refer to this cloth or thread as silk. They continued to get their silks from China... Pauline wore a silk dress with a strand of pearls. N-MASS

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Heb. demeshek, "damask," silk cloth manufactured at Damascus, Amos 3:12. A.V., "in the corner of a bed, and in Damascus in a couch;" R.V., "in the corner of a couch, and on the silken cushions of a bed" (marg., "in Damascus on a bed").

Heb. meshi, (Ezek. 16:10, 13, rendered "silk"). In Gen. 41:42 (marg. A.V.), Prov. 31:22 (R.V., "fine linen"), the word "silk" ought to be "fine linen."

Silk was common in New Testament times (Rev. 18:12).

Moby Thesaurus

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