linen

American  

[lin-uhn] / ˈlɪn ən /

noun

1. fabric woven from flax yarns.

2. Often linens. bedding, tablecloths, shirts, etc., made of linen cloth or a more common substitute, as cotton.

3. yarn made of flax fiber.

4. thread made of flax yarns.

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adjective

1. made of linen.

   a linen jacket.

idioms

1. wash one's dirty linen in public, to discuss in public one's private scandals, disagreements, or difficulties.

linen British  

/ ˈlɪnɪn /

noun

1. 1. a hard-wearing fabric woven from the spun fibres of flax

   2. ( as modifier )

      a linen tablecloth

2. yarn or thread spun from flax fibre

3. clothes, sheets, tablecloths, etc, made from linen cloth or from a substitute such as cotton

4. See linen paper

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linen More Idioms  

1. see wash one's dirty linen in public.

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Other Word Forms

• half-linen adjective
• lineny adjective
• underlinen noun

Etymology

Origin of linen

before 900; Middle English lin ( n ) en (noun, adj.), Old English linnen, līnen (adj.) made of flax, equivalent to līn flax (< Latin līnum; line ² ) + -en -en ²

Example Sentences

On either side are striped linen armchairs, and a wooden coffee table from Facebook Marketplace completes the look, giving the room a relaxed coastal feel.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 28, 2026

But he warned: "The linen backing is weakened by age, and the wool embroidery threads are vulnerable to stress."

From Barron's • Jan. 15, 2026

"The linen backing is weakened by age, and the wool embroidery threads are vulnerable to stress," he said, adding that he had researched the process.

From BBC • Jan. 14, 2026

Until then, all kinds of designs were patched together from silk, linen, wool or “anything at hand.”

From Salon • Jan. 3, 2026

Afterwards they stretched the linen smooth to dry on the shore where the sea had washed it clean.

From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton

Related Words

• bedding
• cloth
• lingerie