ramie

American  

[ram-ee, rey-mee] / ˈræm i, ˈreɪ mi /

noun

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

2. the fiber itself.

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ramie British  

/ ˈræmɪ /

noun

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

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

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Etymology

Origin of ramie

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

Example Sentences

The classic semiformal hanbok worn today, made from fine silk and ramie in an array of colors, is largely derived from styles worn by royalty and upper classes in the late Joseon era.

From New York Times • Apr. 9, 2022

Its ramie fabric industry declined, with most of South Korea’s clothes now imported or made of synthetic materials.

From New York Times • Sep. 11, 2021

Ash Arder’s sound piece evokes a failed 19th-century trial of machines designed to strip ramie fiber so it could used for textiles.

From Washington Post • Apr. 12, 2018

The plant thrives in the South, but ramie has failed in the U.S. as a commercial fiber, for lack of an efficient mechanical decorticator.

From Time Magazine Archive

Hemp is used mainly for cordage, and the use of ramie, jute, and sisal hemp is confined mainly to the manufacture of very coarse cloths and rugs.

From Commercial Geography A Book for High Schools, Commercial Courses, and Business Colleges by Redway, Jacques W. (Jacques Wardlaw)