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raw silk

American  

noun

  1. reeled silk that has not had the sericin removed.


raw silk British  

noun

  1. untreated silk fibres reeled from the cocoon

  2. fabric woven from such fibres

"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

Etymology

Origin of raw silk

Middle English word dating back to 1300–50

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The work paid off, today Umamaheswari produces 10 crops of raw silk a year, with the growth cycle of each batch of silkworms taking 25 to 30 days.

From BBC • Apr. 23, 2026

For Blackthorne’s peasant-style robes, however, Rosario used humble raw silk and linen handwoven in Vancouver.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 17, 2024

In recent years, the National Bureau of Statistics has quietly discontinued hundreds of series of data on narrow subjects, like the output of specific types of coal or raw silk.

From New York Times • Oct. 18, 2022

Made from shredded clear plastic, reeds, raw silk and other materials, the assemblages appear fragile.

From Washington Post • Jan. 28, 2022

The bedroom curtains were made of raw silk, and she told Aunty Uju, ‘Ahn-ahn, it’s a waste to use this material as a curtain! Let’s sew a dress with it.”

From "Americanah" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie