Dictionary
Find
in
Dictionary
Thesaurus
Translations

Click to move up the list of words
silicon chip
silicon dioxide
Silicon Valley
silicone
silicone rubber
silicosis
silicula
silique
silk
silk cotton
silk-cotton tree
silk gland
silk hat
silk-screen
silk-screen printing
silk-stocking
silk tree
Click to move down the list of words
Print Preview
See pronunciation key
Search for "silked" in all of MSN Encarta
E-mail this entry
Blog about this entry on MSN Spaces
Download the MSN Encarta Right-Click Dictionary

silk

silk [ silk ]


noun  (plural silks)
Definition:
 
1. thread from silkworms: the fine fiber that silkworms secrete to make their cocoons. Use: threads, fabrics.

2. textiles silk fabric: fabric woven from spun silk

3. zoology thread from spiders: a fine fiber that spiders secrete and use to make their webs, nests, and cocoons

4. plants 
Same as  corn silk


5. U.K. law King's or Queen's Counsel: a lawyer who has the right to practice as a King's or Queen's Counsel in British courts ( informal )

6. U.K. law high barrister's garment: the gown worn by a King's or Queen's Counsel in British courts



plural noun silks 
Definition:
 
horseracing jockey's silk garments: the distinctively colored silk clothes worn by a jockey as a mark of identification

[ Old English seoloc, via Slavic or Latin< Greek sērikos "silken" < Sēres "people from E Asian countries producing silk"]

hit the silk U.S. to jump from an aircraft with a parachute

Advertisement

Also on Encarta
Englishtown: Learn English online
Our Partners
Also on MSN
Encarta Message Boards (© Rubberball/Jupiterimages)
Shopping
© 2009 Microsoft