silken

[ sil-kuhn ]

/ ˈsɪl kən /

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See synonyms for silken on Thesaurus.com

adjective

made of silk.

like silk in smoothness, softness, glossiness, or delicateness.

clad in silk.

smoothly persuasive or ingratiating; mellifluous: the senator's silken oratory.

elegant; luxurious.

QUIZ

SHALL WE PLAY A "SHALL" VS. "SHOULD" CHALLENGE?

Should you take this quiz on “shall” versus “should”? It should prove to be a quick challenge!

Question 1 of 6

Which form is used to state an obligation or duty someone has?

shall

should

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of silken

before 900; Middle English; Old English seolcen.See silk, -en²

Words nearby silken

siliquose cataract, silk, silkaline, silk cotton, silk-cotton tree, silken, silk gland, silk hat, silkie, Silko, silk oak

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

How to use silken in a sentence

He’s regal, an action star with class, and he’s the one silken thread in this tattered monstrosity.
Even Brad Pitt Can't Lend Bullet Train Some Steam|Stephanie Zacharek|August 4, 2022|Time
In the most complex, hundreds or even thousands of females spin a great airy silken city, where some stay their entire lives.
These huntsman spiders do something weird: live together as a big, happy family|Susan Milius|July 19, 2022|Science News
In a nutso glamour montage, she swirls around the house and its environs in a series of silken gowns and chic daytime ensembles, the camera fluttering around her like a wounded swan.
Kristen Stewart and Pablo Larraín Do Princess Diana Wrong in Spencer|Stephanie Zacharek|September 3, 2021|Time
Is that scratchy rug atop her head really meant to be Kate's famously silken locks?
Kate's First Official Portrait: Will Artist be Sent To Tower for Hideous Picture?|Tom Sykes|January 11, 2013|DAILY BEAST

One is the “silken cord” solution favored by Ottoman sultans.
Dictators' Sons, From Egypt to Libya, Are Doomed|Stephen Kinzer|February 9, 2011|DAILY BEAST
Strange to say, the silken cord yielded to the first pull, as if nothing had been wrong with it at all!
The Giant of the North|R.M. Ballantyne
Between the green and gold folds of his silken handkerchief his gentle brown eyes always regarded her.
Bella Donna|Robert Hichens
"You spoke of disgrace," she observed gently, swaying her fan before her by its silken cord.
Elster's Folly|Mrs. Henry Wood
Frivolity enveloped the company as with a silken veil, and yet everything moved as politely and as sedately as a minuet.
Skipper Worse|Alexander Lange Kielland
The little shoe, whose silken laces had become loose in walking, lay in the road covered-with dust.
Honey-Bee|Anatole France

British Dictionary definitions for silken

silken

/ (ˈsɪlkən) /

adjective

made of silk

resembling silk in smoothness or gloss

dressed in silk

soft and delicate

rare luxurious or elegant

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

silken

Origin of silken

Words nearby silken

Words related to silken

How to use silken in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for silken