silk

[ silk ]

/ sɪlk /

noun

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

thread made from this fiber.

cloth made from this fiber.

a garment of this cloth.

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

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

Informal. a parachute, especially one opened aloft.

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

the hairlike styles on an ear of corn.

British Informal.

a King's or Queen's Counsel.
any barrister of high rank.

adjective

made of silk.

resembling silk; silky.

of or relating to silk.

verb (used without object)

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

Idioms for silk

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

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

Origin of silk

before 900; Middle English (noun); Old English sioloc, seol(o)c (cognate with Old Norse silki), by uncertain transmission < Greek sērikón silk, noun use of neuter of sērikós silken, literally, Chinese, derivative of Sêres the Chinese (Russian shëlk, OPruss silkas (genitive) “silk” appear to be < Gmc); cf. seric-

OTHER WORDS FROM silk

silk·like, adjective half-silk, adjective

Words nearby silk

siliculose cataract, siliqua, silique, siliquose, siliquose cataract, silk, silk cotton, silk gland, silk hat, silk oak, silk paper

British Dictionary definitions for hit the silk

silk

/ (sɪlk) /

noun

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

thread or fabric made from this fibre
(as modifier)a silk dress

a garment made of this

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

the tuft of long fine styles on an ear of maize

British

the gown worn by a Queen's (or King's) Counsel
informal a Queen's (or King's) Counsel
take silk to become a Queen's (or King's) Counsel

verb

(intr) US and Canadian (of maize) to develop long hairlike styles

Derived forms of silk

silklike, adjective

Word Origin for silk

Old English sioluc; compare Old Norse silki, Greek sērikon, Korean sir; all ultimately from Chinese ssǔ silk

Scientific definitions for hit the silk

silk

[ sĭlk ]

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.

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

Idioms and Phrases with hit the silk

silk

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

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

silk