ramie

[ ram-ee, rey-mee ]

/ ˈræm i, ˈreɪ mi /

Save This Word!

noun

an Asian shrub, Boehmeria nivea, of the nettle family, yielding a fiber used especially in making textiles.

the fiber itself.

QUIZ

WILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?

Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!

Question 1 of 7

Fill in the blank: I can’t figure out _____ gave me this gift.

who

whom

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of ramie

First recorded in 1810–20, ramie is from the Malay word rami a kind of grass

Words nearby ramie

ramentum, ramequin, Rameses, ramet, rami, ramie, ramification, ramiform, ramify, Ramillies, ramjet

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use ramie in a sentence

Ramie or China grass and pineapple fibers are sometimes used as adulterants in the manufacture of silk.
Textiles and Clothing|Kate Heintz Watson
This plant resembles ramie and belongs to the nettle family also, but it is without the troublesome resin of the ramie.
Textiles and Clothing|Kate Heintz Watson
In the same district bamboos, ramie-fibre and attar (otto) of roses are cultivated.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 5, Slice 5|Various
To start a ramie industry in a small way and teach the process to those who will engage in it?
Scientific American, Vol. XXXIX.No. 6. [New Series.], August 10, 1878|Various

Ramie is a member of the nettle family and attains a height of from four to eight feet.
Textiles|William H. Dooley

British Dictionary definitions for ramie

ramie

ramee

/ (ˈræmɪ) /

noun

a woody urticaceous shrub of Asia, Boehmeria nivea, having broad leaves and a stem that yields a flaxlike fibre

the fibre from this plant, used in making fabrics, cord, etc

Word Origin for ramie

C19: from Malay rami

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