silk
the soft, lustrous fiber obtained as a filament from the cocoon of the silkworm.
thread made from this fiber.
cloth made from this fiber.
a garment of this cloth.
a gown of such material worn distinctively by a King's or Queen's Counsel at the English bar.
silks, the blouse and peaked cap, considered together, worn by a jockey or sulky driver in a race.
Informal. a parachute, especially one opened aloft.
any fiber or filamentous matter resembling silk, as a filament produced by certain spiders, the thread of a mollusk, or the like.
the hairlike styles on an ear of corn.
British Informal.
a King's or Queen's Counsel.
any barrister of high rank.
(of corn) to be in the course of developing silk.
Idioms about silk
hit the silk, Slang. to parachute from an aircraft; bail out.
take silk, British. to become a Queen's or King's Counsel.
Origin of silk
1Other words from silk
- silklike, adjective
- half-silk, adjective
Words Nearby silk
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use silk in a sentence
Poking out of the shiny gold pages is a “distinctive silk marker”—also gold—which “complements the color of the leather.”
Sometimes I wear my silk pyjamas when I am going for a walk in the mornings, does that make me eccentric?
Behind their silk hats loom shadows of their immigrant forbears.
The Magazine That Made—and Unmade—Politicians | Anthony Haden-Guest | November 2, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTWaving a silk cloth, he declared, “Gentlemen, I will have this land just as surely as I now have this handkerchief.”
Undercover detective Gustav Frank sold Mandelbaum several bolts of stolen silk that had been secretly marked.
Meet 'The Queen of Thieves' Marm Mandelbaum, New York City's First Mob Boss | J. North Conway | September 7, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Q was a Queen, who wore a silk slip; R was a Robber, and wanted a whip.
He urged the growing of mulberry trees and the propagation of silk worms, as being of more value than tobacco.
Tobacco; Its History, Varieties, Culture, Manufacture and Commerce | E. R. Billings.She had been properly dressed for the occasion in black tulle and black silk tights.
The Awakening and Selected Short Stories | Kate ChopinA chair covered with red silk, borne on the shoulders of sixteen chair-men, passed up to the temple.
Our Little Korean Cousin | H. Lee M. PikeInstead of a cloth, on each table was a sheet of fine glazed paper which had the appearance of oiled silk.
Our Little Korean Cousin | H. Lee M. Pike
British Dictionary definitions for silk
/ (sɪlk) /
the very fine soft lustrous fibre produced by a silkworm to make its cocoon
thread or fabric made from this fibre
(as modifier): a silk dress
a garment made of this
a very fine fibre produced by a spider to build its web, nest, or cocoon
the tuft of long fine styles on an ear of maize
British
the gown worn by a Queen's (or King's) Counsel
informal a Queen's (or King's) Counsel
take silk to become a Queen's (or King's) Counsel
(intr) US and Canadian (of maize) to develop long hairlike styles
Origin of silk
1Derived forms of silk
- silklike, adjective
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Scientific definitions for silk
[ sĭlk ]
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.
A substance similar to the silk of the silkworm but produced by other insect larvae or by spiders to spin webs.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Other Idioms and Phrases with silk
see can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear; smooth as silk.
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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