merino

[ muh-ree-noh ]

/ məˈri noʊ /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR merino ON THESAURUS.COM

noun, plural me·ri·nos.

(often initial capital letter) one of a breed of sheep, raised originally in Spain, valued for their fine wool.

wool from such sheep.

a yarn or fabric made from this wool.

adjective

made of merino wool, yarn, or cloth.

Nearby words

meridional aberration, merilee, merina, mering, meringue, merino, merionethshire, merisis, meristem, meristematic, meristic

Origin of merino

1775–85; < Spanish < Arabic (banū) marīn a Berber tribe known for raising this breed

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for merino

According to WWD, Altuzarra will design a collection in merino wool for the next stage of the competition.
Joseph Altuzarra Named U.S. Representative for International Woolmark Prize; L'Wren Scott Teams Up With Banana Republic|The Fashion Beast Team|July 10, 2013|DAILY BEAST
The merino dominates the bush, and gives to Australian literature its melancholy tinge, its despairing pathos.
Three Elephant Power|Andrew Barton 'Banjo' Paterson
The merino thrives here even better than in Northeastern Oregon, and many thousand pounds of wool are raised.
Two Years in Oregon|Wallis Nash
It is my purpose here to exhibit the merino sheep in its true light.
Three Elephant Power|Andrew Barton 'Banjo' Paterson

Even Ellen could see that, and fumbling for her little pattern of merino, she compared it with the piece.
The Wide, Wide World|Susan Warner
In parts of Germany this principle is carried with merino sheep to an extreme point.
The Variation of Animals and Plants Under Domestication, Volume II (of 2)|Charles Darwin

British Dictionary definitions for merino

merino

/ (məˈriːnəʊ) /

noun plural -nos

a breed of sheep, originating in Spain, bred for their fleece

the long fine wool of this sheep

the yarn made from this wool, often mixed with cotton

pure merino Australian informal

history a free settler rather than a convict
an affluent and socially prominent person
(as modifier)a pure merino cricketer

adjective

made from merino wool

Word Origin for merino

C18: from Spanish, origin uncertain

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