linen

[lin-uhn]

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.

adjective

1. made of linen.

   a linen jacket.

linen

/ 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

Other Word Forms

• lineny adjective
• half-linen adjective
• underlinen noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of linen¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of linen¹

Old English linnen, ultimately from Latin līnum flax, _line ²

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

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

see wash one's dirty linen in public.

Example Sentences

The royal couple were told by Helen Keys and Charlie Mallon about the sustainable methods being used to grow flax to create linen.

Read more on BBC

Nevertheless, some family possessions survive and are exhibited here: a lovely walnut writing desk used by Otto Frank, table linens with family initials, colorful crockery, a precious photo album.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

“You can run a pizza shop on the linen bill of a fine-dining restaurant,” he said.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Dressed in baggy jeans and a billowy linen shirt, she sips a green juice as a takeout bag from Sqirl sits next to her on a picnic table.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

She added that "there's a limit to what you can do" from outside cabinet and "what I don't think members want is for us to be airing our dirty linen in public".

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• bedding 
• cloth 
• lingerie