silk /sɪlk/ BrE AmE noun
[ Language: Old English ; Origin: seolc ]
1 . [uncountable] a thin smooth soft cloth made from very thin thread which is produced by a silkworm:
pure silk stockings
a beautiful dress in raw silk
2 . [countable] British English law a very important lawyer SYN Queen’s Counsel (QC) :
His practice quickly grew and he took silk (=became a QC) in 1988.
3 . silks [plural] technical the coloured shirts worn by ↑ jockey s (=people who ride horses in races)
4 . make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear to make something good out of something that is bad quality