linen
linen Lexical Profile
linen Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A strong, highly absorbent woven fabric manufactured from the fibers of the flax plant.
"She bought a lightweight dress made of pure linen to stay cool during the humid summer."
Household items such as bedsheets, tablecloths, or towels, traditionally made from flax but now commonly made of cotton or synthetic blends.
"The hotel maid arrived at noon to change the bed linens and provide fresh towels."
Word Nuance & Usage
While strictly referring to fabric woven from flax, the plural form 'linens' is commonly used as a generic term for household articles like sheets, towels, and tablecloths, regardless of their actual material composition.
• Rhymes for linen
Word Origin & Etymology
Derived from Old English 'līnen' (made of flax), originating from 'līn' (flax) combined with the material suffix '-en'. It traces back to Latin 'linum' and Greek 'linon'.