The Collaborative International Dictionary
Silk \Silk\, n. [OE. silk, selk, AS. seolc, seoloc; akin to Icel. silki, SW. & Dan. silke; prob. through Slavic from an Oriental source; cf. Lith. szilkai, Russ. shelk', and also L. sericum Seric stuff, silk. Cf. Sericeous. Serge a woolen stuff.]
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 larv[ae] of Bombyx mori.
Hence, thread spun, or cloth woven, from the above-named material.
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That which resembles silk, as the filiform styles of the female flower of maize. Raw silk, silk as it is wound off from the cocoons, and before it is manufactured. Silk cotton, a cottony substance enveloping the seeds of the silk-cotton tree. Silk-cotton tree (Bot.), a name for several tropical trees of the genera Bombax and Eriodendron, and belonging to the order Bombace[ae]. The trees grow to an immense size, and have their seeds enveloped in a cottony substance, which is used for stuffing cushions, but can not be spun. Silk flower. (Bot.)
The silk tree.
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A similar tree ( Calliandra trinervia) of Peru.
Silk fowl (Zo["o]l.), a breed of domestic fowls having silky plumage.
Silk gland (Zo["o]l.), a gland which secretes the material of silk, as in spider or a silkworm; a sericterium.
Silk gown, the distinctive robe of a barrister who has been appointed king's or queen's counsel; hence, the counsel himself. Such a one has precedence over mere barristers, who wear stuff gowns. [Eng.]
Silk grass (Bot.), a kind of grass ( Stipa comata) of the Western United States, which has very long silky awns. The name is also sometimes given to various species of the genera Aqave and Yucca.
Silk moth (Zo["o]l.), the adult moth of any silkworm. See Silkworm.
Silk shag, a coarse, rough-woven silk, like plush, but with a stiffer nap.
Silk spider (Zo["o]l.), a large spider ( Nephila plumipes), native of the Southern United States, remarkable for the large quantity of strong silk it produces and for the great disparity in the sizes of the sexes.
Silk thrower, Silk throwster, one who twists or spins silk, and prepares it for weaving.
--Brande & C.Silk tree (Bot.), an Asiatic leguminous tree ( Albizzia Julibrissin) with finely bipinnate leaves, and large flat pods; -- so called because of the abundant long silky stamens of its blossoms. Also called silk flower.
Silk vessel. (Zo["o]l.) Same as Silk gland, above.
Virginia silk (Bot.), a climbing plant ( Periploca Gr[ae]ca) of the Milkweed family, having a silky tuft on the seeds. It is native in Southern Europe.
Wikipedia
Raw Silk was an American dance band, originated in New York. Raw Silk is best known for their garage-boogie song "Do It to the Music" (1982). The group consists of two Crown Heights Affair members, Ron Dean Miller and Bert Reid, and three female vocalists Jessica Cleaves, Sybil Thomas, Tenita Jordan. Their production was somewhat successful, "Do It to the Music" reached number 5 on Billboard Hot Dance Club Songs charts, "Just in Time" (1983) peaked lower, at number 40 on the same chart. The single was more successful in the United Kingdom, though.
Raw Silk is a 1988 Australian film about two barristers.
Usage examples of "raw silk".
And remember he's worth twenty thousand times his own weight in raw silk and he's got more knowledge than you'll have in twenty lifetimes.
His irritation mounted as he felt his raw silk suit wilt against his frame like an overwatered daisy.
His hair was golden, hanging to his bare shoulders, streaked white by the sun, yet as lustrous as raw silk, offering a startling contrast to his deeply tanned features.
A bunch of hair sprouted from the little purple cauliflower and hung down in a silver tassel below his chin above the simple tunic of cream-coloured raw silk he wore.
In the end, I chose two fabricsa saffron wool, fine-carded and light as a cloud, and a raw silk of pale celadon green.
Woven throughout the rich red wool were dragon designs in a gold material that had the unmistakable shine of raw silk.
He was dressed in a black raw silk suit, rather old-fashioned, somewhat like the ones Chinese mandarins used to wear on formal occasions.
Matt nuzzled his face into her hair, the raw silk sheets clean and sweet against the sandpapery texture of his unshaven cheek.
Had the nerve to be coming in here all fly, wearing a damned black linen Versace suit, serving a damned cranberry collarless raw silk shirt like he was out where he shouldn't have been….