silk
Fine, smooth natural fiber and cloth
A soft, smooth, shiny thread and cloth made from silkworms, used to make expensive clothes and other things.
[something] is made of silk
- She wore a long blue dress made of pure silk.
- This scarf is silk, so please be careful when you wash it.
- Silk has been traded for thousands of years and was once more valuable than gold.
- The hotel offered luxury rooms with silk sheets and pillows.
- Scientists are studying spider silk because it is incredibly strong and light.
- My mother has a red silk dress.
- These silk shirts are very light and cool.
- He bought a silk tie for the wedding.
- This pillowcase is silk and feels very soft.
- Silk is more expensive than cotton.
Clothing made from silk
Dresses, shirts, scarves and other clothes that are made from silk.
be dressed in silk / silks
- The guests arrived in their finest silks and jewelry.
- In the painting, the queen is wrapped in heavy silks and furs.
- She threw open the wardrobe to reveal a row of bright silks in every color.
- Traders in the market were selling silks, carpets, and spices.
- He packed away his winter silks and brought out lighter summer clothes.
- The rich woman wore silks and gold.
- In the movie, the king's family is always in silks.
- She likes to travel with light silks in her bag.
- The shop window showed beautiful silks in many colors.
- At the party, many people were in silks and suits.
Jockey’s colorful racing clothes
The special colorful clothes that a jockey wears when riding in a horse race.
wear [someone]'s silks
- The jockey pulled on his red and white silks before heading to the track.
- Each owner registers unique silks so their horse can be recognized instantly.
- She designed the stable's new silks with bold stripes and stars.
- In the final race, he rode in the champion stable's famous green silks.
- The jockey's silks were splashed with mud by the end of the race.
- The jockey puts on his silks before the race.
- Her horse is easy to see because the silks are bright yellow.
- Every owner has different silks for their jockey.
- The silks show which horse belongs to which owner.
- He forgot his silks and had to borrow a set.
Senior British barrister (KC/QC)
In British law, a top-level lawyer in court who has the title King’s Counsel or Queen’s Counsel.
a leading silk
- The company hired a top commercial silk to argue the case.
- She became the first woman silk in her practice area.
- Many barristers dream of taking silk but only a few are chosen each year.
- As a silk, he now appears mainly in the higher courts.
- The judge praised the silk for his clear and careful submissions.
- He is a very famous silk in London.
- Her father is a silk and works on big court cases.
- Only the best barristers can become a silk.
- The company paid a lot of money to hire a silk.
- She hopes to take silk one day.
Fine threads on an ear of corn
The long soft threads on the top of an ear of corn.
corn silk
- Pull back the husk and remove the corn silk before boiling the cob.
- The corn silk had turned brown, so the ears were ready to harvest.
- She brushed the corn silk off the table after preparing dinner.
- Tiny drops of water clung to the corn silk in the early morning.
- Corn silk is sometimes dried and used as a traditional herbal tea.
- You should take off the corn silk before you cook the corn.
- There is a lot of corn silk on this ear.
- The corn silk is dry and brown now.
- He cleaned the corn silk from the kitchen floor.
- She showed her child the long corn silk on the fresh corn.
- Base: silk
- Plural: silk, silks
as soft as silk
1Extremely soft to touch
Very, very soft when you touch it.
- The baby’s skin felt as soft as silk.
- This blanket is as soft as silk and very comfortable.
- After the treatment, my hair was as soft as silk.
take silk
1Become King’s/Queen’s Counsel
To become a very senior barrister in the UK with the title King’s Counsel or Queen’s Counsel.
- She took silk in 2015 and now appears mainly in the Court of Appeal.
- Only a small number of barristers take silk each year.
- After twenty years at the bar, he finally took silk.
the Silk Road
1Ancient Asia–Europe trade route
A very old group of trade routes from China and other parts of Asia to Europe and the Middle East, used to carry silk and many other goods.
- Many cities along the Silk Road became rich trading centers.
- The museum is showing an exhibition about cultures of the Silk Road.
- Silk, spices, and ideas all travelled along the Silk Road.
you can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear
1Can’t get quality from poor material
You cannot make something truly good or beautiful if you only have bad or weak material (or people) to work with.
- The design is clever, but you can’t make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear.
- He tried to fix that old car, but you can’t make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear.
- Their training helps, but you can’t make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear when the basic product is poor.
as smooth as silk
1Extremely smooth or easy
Very smooth or happening in a very easy, controlled way.
- Her skin was as smooth as silk.
- The car’s new engine runs as smooth as silk.
- The car's acceleration was as smooth as silk.
- Her presentation was as smooth as silk from beginning to end.
- The dancer’s movements were as smooth as silk on the stage.