| silk | 1. 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. 2. Hence, thread spun, or cloth woven, from the above-named material. 3. 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. <botany> Silk-cotton tree, a climbing plant (Periploca Graeca) of the Milkweed family, having a silky tuft on the seeds. It is native in Southern Europe. Origin: 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. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
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| silkweed | <botany> Any plant of the genera Asclepias and Acerates whose seed vessels contain a long, silky down; milkweed. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| silkworm | <zoology> The larva of any one of numerous species of bombycid moths, which spins a large amount of strong silk in constructing its cocoon before changing to a pupa. The common species (Bombyx mori) feeds onm the leaves of the white mulberry tree. It is native of China, but has long been introduced into other countries of Asia and Europe, and is reared on a large scale. In America it is reared only to small extent. The Ailanthus silkworm (Philosamia cynthia) is a much larger species, of considerable importance, which has been introduced into Europe and America from China. The most useful American species is the Polyphemus. See Polyphemus. Pernyi silkworm, the larva of the Pernyi moth. See Pernyi moth. Silkworm gut, a substance prepared from the contents of the silk glands of silkworms and used in making lines for angling. See Gut. Silkworm rot, a disease of silkworms; muscardine. Origin: AS. Seolcwyrm. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| silkworms | Moths of the family bombycidae of the order lepidoptera, called silkworm moths. The family contains a single species, bombyx mori from the greek for silkworm + mulberry tree (on which it feeds). A native of asia, it is sometimes reared in this country. It has long been raised for its silk and after centuries of domestication it probably does not exist in nature. It is used extensively in experimental genetics. (12 Dec 1998) |
| silky | 1. Of or pertaining to silk; made of, or resembling, silk; silken; silklike; as, a silky luster. 2. Hence, soft and smooth; as, silky wine. 3. Covered with soft hairs pressed close to the surface, as a leaf; sericeous. <botany> Silky oak, a lofty Australian tree (Grevillea robusta) with silky tomentose lobed or incised leaves. It furnishes a valuable timber. Origin: Silkier; Silkiest. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| shot-silk phenomenon | The appearance of numerous wavelike, glistening reflexes, like the shimmer of silk, observed sometimes in the retina of a young person. Synonym: shot-silk phenomenon, shot-silk reflex. (05 Mar 2000) |
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| shot-silk reflex | The appearance of numerous wavelike, glistening reflexes, like the shimmer of silk, observed sometimes in the retina of a young person. Synonym: shot-silk phenomenon, shot-silk reflex. (05 Mar 2000) |
| shot-silk retina | The appearance of numerous wavelike, glistening reflexes, like the shimmer of silk, observed sometimes in the retina of a young person. Synonym: shot-silk phenomenon, shot-silk reflex. (05 Mar 2000) |
| surgical silk | Thread prepared from the cocoon filaments of glutinous gum which are spun by the mulberry silkworm Bombyx mori; used as suture material in 14 sizes from 0.025 mm to 1.016 mm in diameter and numbered accordingly from 7-0 to 7. Virgin silk, an extremely fine ophthalmic suture material consisting of two to seven natural silk filaments bonded together by sericin, a natural adhesive. (05 Mar 2000) |
| floss silk | dental floss |