silk

American  

[silk] / sɪlk /

noun

• silks
  plural

1. the soft, lustrous fiber obtained as a filament from the cocoon of the silkworm.

2. thread made from this fiber.

3. cloth made from this fiber.

4. a garment of this cloth.

5. a gown of such material worn distinctively by a King's or Queen's Counsel at the English bar.

6. silks, the blouse and peaked cap, considered together, worn by a jockey or sulky driver in a race.

7. Informal. a parachute, especially one opened aloft.

8. any fiber or filamentous matter resembling silk, as a filament produced by certain spiders, the thread of a mollusk, or the like.

9. the hairlike styles on an ear of corn.

10. British Informal.

    1. a King's or Queen's Counsel.

    2. any barrister of high rank.

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adjective

1. made of silk.

2. resembling silk; silky.

3. of or relating to silk.

verb (used without object)

1. (of corn) to be in the course of developing silk.

idioms

1. take silk, to become a Queen's or King's Counsel.

2. hit the silk, to parachute from an aircraft; bail out.

silk British  

/ sɪlk /

noun

1. the very fine soft lustrous fibre produced by a silkworm to make its cocoon

2. 1. thread or fabric made from this fibre

   2. ( as modifier )

      a silk dress

3. a garment made of this

4. a very fine fibre produced by a spider to build its web, nest, or cocoon

5. the tuft of long fine styles on an ear of maize

6. 1. the gown worn by a Queen's (or King's) Counsel

   2. informal a Queen's (or King's) Counsel

   3. to become a Queen's (or King's) Counsel

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verb

1. (intr) (of maize) to develop long hairlike styles

silk Scientific  

/ sĭlk /

1. A fiber produced by silkworms to form cocoons. Silk is strong, flexible, and fibrous, and is essentially a long continuous strand of protein. It is widely used to make thread and fabric.

2. A substance similar to the silk of the silkworm but produced by other insect larvae or by spiders to spin webs.

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silk More Idioms  

1. see can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear; smooth as silk.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• half-silk
  adjective
• silklike
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• silks
  plural

Etymology

Origin of silk

First recorded before 900; Middle English noun selk, seolk, solk, Old English sioloc, seol(o)c (cognate with Old Norse silki, Norwegian, Swedish, and Danish silke, but not found in other Germanic languages), by uncertain transmission from Latin sērica, noun use of neuter plural adjective sēricus, or from Greek sērikón “silk,” noun use of neuter of sērikós “silken,” literally, “Chinese,” derivative of Latin Sēres, Greek Sêres “the Chinese”; Germanic, Slavic ( Old Church Slavonic shelkŭ, Russian shëlk ) and Baltic ( Lithuanian šilkai ) all show unexplained change of r to l ); cf. seric-

Explanation

Silk is a very smooth, light fabric that's usually made of fibers from silkworm cocoons. Your sister might decide to wear a white dress made of silk to her wedding. Silk is often an expensive kind of fabric from which fancy curtains and upholstery are made, as well as clothing. Things made of silk are soft and satiny, and they usually have an almost glossy sheen. The word silk has an Old English root, sioloc, from Sēres, the Greek word for people from the region in Asia where silk was first made.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

silk silks

Executives at other branded-goods companies in recent months have talked up their newest concepts: silk diapers, Doritos with protein, Pepsi with fiber, Capri Sun with electrolytes and “hydrating” hot chocolate.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 16, 2026

Artisans at the London fashion house Safiyaa spent 150 hours embroidering Anderson’s bespoke silk reception outfit.

From Salon ● Sep. 14, 2026

Do you like the imported marble floors and silk window treatments?

From Slate ● Sep. 12, 2026

Natural fibers like cotton, cashmere and silk feature prominently in its clothes, a departure from other midmarket retailers that have turned to cheaper synthetics.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026

I was owed a second bolt of silk.

From "The Many Assassinations of Samir, the Seller of Dreams" by Daniel Nayeri

Her doctors searched for ways to manage her stress by exposing her to various activities, including video games, serene Icelandic landscapes and an aerial silks performance.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 3, 2026

I based my consistently bad calls—losing $5 or so—on the horse’s name and the colors of the jockey’s silks.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 23, 2026

Hours were marked by peals of screams following every uncovered worm wriggling in the corn silks, and each of us proudly showing off our inky fingertips from pressing out purple hull peas from their pods.

From Salon ● Jun. 5, 2025

There was a poignant runner-up in William Munny, running in the same yellow and blue silks of trainer-owner Barry Connell, who triumphed with Marine Nationale two years ago.

From BBC ● Mar. 11, 2025

Everything from beggar’s rags to rich silks and velvets could be found there.

From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin

Related Words

• fiber
• taffeta
• thread
• tulle