Standard Lemma guide
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
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name
A surname originating as an occupation for a seller of silk.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
A fine fiber excreted by the silkworm or other arthropod (such as a spider).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: uncountable
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
A thread or yarn made from silk fibers.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
A fine, soft cloth woven from silk yarn or thread.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
A fine, soft cloth woven from silk yarn or thread.
A pair of long silk sheets suspended in the air on which a performer performs tricks.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, in-plural, uncountable
Topics: arts, circus, hobbies, lifestyle, performing-arts, sports
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
A fine, soft cloth woven from silk yarn or thread.
A parachute.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
An article of clothing made from silk cloth.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
An article of clothing made from silk cloth.
The garments worn by a jockey displaying the colors of the horse's owner.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, plural-normally, uncountable
Topics: hobbies, horse-racing, horseracing, horses, lifestyle, pets, racing, sports
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
An article of clothing made from silk cloth.
The gown worn by a Senior (i.e., Queen's/King's) Counsel.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
An article of clothing made from silk cloth.
The gown worn by a Senior (i.e., Queen's/King's) Counsel.
A Queen's Counsel, King's Counsel or Senior Counsel.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: colloquial, countable, figuratively, metonymically, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Anything which resembles silk, such as the filiform styles of the female flower of maize or the seed covering of bombaxes.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
To develop silk.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: intransitive
Topics: agriculture, business, lifestyle
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
To remove the silk from (corn).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
Topics: cooking, food, lifestyle
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
a fabric made from the fine threads produced by certain insect larvae
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: fabric, cloth, material, textile
Narrower terms: sarcenet, sarsenet
noun
animal fibers produced by silkworms and other larvae that spin cocoons and by most spiders
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: animal fiber, animal fibre
History
From Middle English silk, sylk, selk, selc, from Old English sioloc, seoloc, seolc (“silk”). The immediate source is uncertain; it probably reached English via the Baltic trade routes (cognates in Old Norse silki (> Danish silke, Swedish silke (“silk”)), Russian шёлк (šolk), obsolete Lithuanian zilkai̇̃), all ultimately from Late Latin sēricus, from Ancient Greek σηρικός (sērikós), ultimately from an Oriental language (represented now by e.g. Chinese 絲 /丝 (sī, “silk”)). Displaced Old English sīde (“silk”). Compare Seres. Doublet of seric and serge.
Across languages
308 source translations are retained for this English entry.
