a fabric made from the fine threads produced by certain insect larvae
"She admired the shimmering gown, noting that its luxurious texture was crafted entirely from silk spun by silkworms."
animal fibers produced by silkworms and other larvae that spin cocoons and by most spiders
"The delicate fabric draped over her shoulders was made from pure silk spun by silkworms in the humid climate of Japan."
A fine fiber excreted by the silkworm or other arthropod (such as a spider).
"The spider carefully spun fresh silk to repair the torn section of its web."
In plain English: Silk is a smooth, shiny fabric made from threads produced by silkworms.
"She wore a beautiful silk dress to the wedding."
To remove the silk from (corn).
"After harvesting the maize, we spent the afternoon shelling and silking the cobs to prepare them for storage."
In plain English: To silk means to smooth out wrinkles in fabric by brushing it with a soft cloth.
"She didn't want to silk her hair, so she let it air dry instead."
Usage: Use this verb specifically to describe removing the outer husk or shell of corn kernels, not as a general term for peeling other foods. It is often confused with similar agricultural terms like shuck when referring to different types of produce preparation.
A surname, from occupations for a seller of silk.
"The headmaster announced that Mr. Silk had been appointed to oversee the school's new arts program."
The word "silk" entered English via the Baltic trade routes and likely originated from a Late Latin term derived from Ancient Greek. Its ultimate roots trace back to an Oriental language, such as Chinese, where it originally referred to the fabric made from silkworm cocoons.