ramie

[ram-ee, rey-mee]

noun

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

Origin of ramie

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

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for ramie

Historical Examples of ramie

Ramie or China grass is a soft, silky, and extremely strong fiber.
Textiles
William H. Dooley
There was plenty of the ramie cloth at hand, but it was quite yellow.
The Wonder Island Boys: Exploring the Island
Roger Thompson Finlay
The next in importance to linen is ramie or rhea, and China grass.
Textiles and Clothing
Kate Heintz Watson
China grass comes from a different plant but is about the same as ramie.
Textiles and Clothing
Kate Heintz Watson
Ginghams are also woven of silk and cotton mixed or of silk and ramie.
Textiles and Clothing
Kate Heintz Watson

British Dictionary definitions for ramie

ramie

ramee

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