Silk
[sɪlk]
Definition
(noun.) a fabric made from the fine threads produced by certain insect larvae.
(noun.) animal fibers produced by silkworms and other larvae that spin cocoons and by most spiders.
Inputed by Katherine--From WordNet
Definition
(n.) The fine, soft thread produced by various species of caterpillars in forming the cocoons within which the worm is inclosed during the pupa state, especially that produced by the larvae of Bombyx mori.
(n.) Hence, thread spun, or cloth woven, from the above-named material.
(n.) That which resembles silk, as the filiform styles of the female flower of maize.
Typed by Frank
Definition
n. the delicate soft thread produced by the larv?of certain bombycid moths which feed on the leaves of the mulberry &c.: thread or cloth woven from it: anything resembling silk the styles of maize the silky lustre in the ruby &c.—adj. pertaining to or consisting of silk.—n. Silk′-cott′on the silky seed-covering of various species of Bombax.—adjs. Silk′en made of silk: dressed in silk: resembling silk: soft: delicate; Silk′-fig′ured having the ornamental pattern in silk.—ns. Silk′-gown or The silk the robe of a queen's or king's counsel instead of the stuff-gown of the ordinary barrister—hence 'to take silk'=to be appointed Q.C.; Silk′-grass Adam's needle or bear-grass; Silk′iness; Silk′-man (Shak.) a dealer in silks; Silk′-mer′cer a mercer or dealer in silks; Silk′-mill a mill for the manufacture of silks; Silk′-pa′per tissue-paper; Silk′-reel a machine in which raw silk is unwound from the cocoons and wound into a thread; Silk′-throw′er -throw′ster one who manufactures thrown-silk or organzine silk thread formed by twisting together two or more threads or singles; Silk′-weav′er a weaver of silk stuffs; Silk′worm the bombycid moth whose larva produces silk; Silk′worm-gut a material used by anglers for dressing the hook-end of the fishing-line consisting of the drawn-out glands of the silkworm when these are fully distended.—adj. Silk′y like silk in texture: soft: smooth: glossy.
Checker: Marge
Unserious Contents or Definition
To dream of wearing silk clothes, is a sign of high ambitions being gratified, and friendly relations will be established between those who were estranged. For a young woman to dream of old silk, denotes that she will have much pride in her ancestors, and will be wooed by a wealthy, but elderly person. If the silk is soiled or torn, she will drag her ancestral pride in the slums of disgrace.
Checker: Yale
Examples
- I took off my silk gown to begin with, because the slightest noise from it on that still night might have betrayed me. Wilkie Collins. The Woman in White.
- He wore a high silk hat which was a little old, but had been carefully brushed. Mark Twain. The Innocents Abroad.
- Over this is placed a water-tight covering of pegamoid, and the lower part covered with light silk. William Henry Doolittle. Inventions in the Century.
- There were painted white chairs, with gilding and wreaths on them, and some lingering red silk damask with slits in it. George Eliot. Middlemarch.
- It consists of a series of silk disks saturated with a sizing of plumbago and well dried. Frank Lewis Dyer. Edison, His Life and Inventions.
- De Chardonnet’s Process of Making Artificial Silk. Edward W. Byrn. The Progress of Invention in the Nineteenth Century.
- Oh dear me, I must get some string, or silk, or—Oh, she cried, struck with a sudden thought, have you a knife? Fergus Hume. The Island of Fantasy.
- With infinite difficulty, for he was stubborn as a stone, I persuaded him to make an exchange in favour of a sober black satin and pearl-grey silk. Charlotte Bronte. Jane Eyre.
- I'm sure our pops look like silk, and they are nice enough for us. Louisa May Alcott. Little Women.
- The violet silk would be so nice. Louisa May Alcott. Little Women.
- But all natural fabrics, whether they come from plants, like cotton and linen, or from animals, like wool and silk, contain more or less coloring matter, which impairs the whiteness. Bertha M. Clark. General Science.
- With our black silk face-coverings, which turned us into two of the most truculent figures in London, we stole up to the silent, gloomy house. Arthur Conan Doyle. The Return of Sherlock Holmes.
- Silk, lace, and wool when bleached with chlorine become hard and brittle, but when whitened with sulphurous acid, they retain their natural characteristics. Bertha M. Clark. General Science.
- Everything is as handsome as could be, crape and silk and everything, said Mrs. Vincy, contentedly. George Eliot. Middlemarch.
- Nobody had disturbed her, no faint rustling of the silk dress had been audible, either in the ante-room or in the passage. Wilkie Collins. The Woman in White.
- Wines, currants, and wrought silks, were the only goods which did not fall within this rule, having other and more advantageous allowances. Adam Smith. An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations.
- After I had eaten I was greatly invigorated, but feeling the need of rest I stretched out upon the silks and was soon asleep. Edgar Rice Burroughs. A Princess of Mars.
- Mr. Moore, she said, as she gathered up her silks, have you heard from your brother lately? Charlotte Bronte. Shirley.
- See, I have it here, and as she spoke she drew Tan Gama's short-sword from beneath her sleeping silks and furs. Edgar Rice Burroughs. The Gods of Mars.
- The other occupants of the room, five in number, were all females, and they were still sleeping, piled high with a motley array of silks and furs. Edgar Rice Burroughs. A Princess of Mars.
- Gently I pressed it open a crack; enough to discover a dozen blacks stretched upon their silks in profound slumber. Edgar Rice Burroughs. The Gods of Mars.
- It is the same with silks, antiquities, shawls, etc. Mark Twain. The Innocents Abroad.
- We decided to wait for an hour at least until all the stragglers had sought their silks. Edgar Rice Burroughs. The Gods of Mars.
- I think I shall trade, said he, leaning back in his chair, to the East Indies, for silks, shawls, spices, dyes, drugs, and precious woods. Charles Dickens. Great Expectations.
- Smugglers landing laces and silks have been known to wind them around their bodies, as being less ostentatious than carrying them in a trunk. Frank Lewis Dyer. Edison, His Life and Inventions.
- It was no more torn collars now, I promise you, and faded silks trailing off at the shoulder. William Makepeace Thackeray. Vanity Fair.
- The chill of the Martian night was upon us, and removing my silks I threw them across the shoulders of Dejah Thoris. Edgar Rice Burroughs. A Princess of Mars.
- I meant to have told you that we did not wish to purchase any silks to-day, but in my absent-mindedness I forgot it. Mark Twain. The Innocents Abroad.
- An elegant general preparation for cleaning gloves, silks, etc. William K. David. Secrets of Wise Men, Chemists and Great Physicians.
- Ribbons, and silks, and flowers, and pipings; quite unlike the real shepherds and shepherdesses of Melnos, but deliciously delicate for all that. Fergus Hume. The Island of Fantasy.
Editor: Nancy