Linen

'lɪnɪn

nounBeginner📊CommonGeneral
2 meanings1 idiom/phrase3 questions

Definitions

2 meanings
1

A strong cloth made from the fibers of the flax plant, used for clothing, bedding, and other household items.

'lɪnɪn

nounneutralBeginner
General

Cloth made from flax

The crisp, white linen tablecloth added elegance to the dinner party.

💡 Simply: Linen is like a fancy cloth made from a plant called flax. You might find it in your sheets, towels, or a tablecloth. Imagine having super soft pajamas made of linen – cozy!

👶 For kids: Linen is a special kind of cloth made from a plant. It's often used to make things like sheets and towels.

More Examples

2

She prefers linen bedding because it's breathable and comfortable.

How It's Used

Textiles

"She ironed the linen sheets before making the bed."

Household

"The hotel provides fresh linen daily."

2

Made of or relating to linen; of or relating to a linen fabric.

'lɪnɪn

adjectiveneutralBeginner
General

Made of linen

He prefers to wear linen shirts in the summer because they are breathable.

💡 Simply: When something is linen, it's made of that special flax cloth. Think of a linen shirt – it's soft and feels good on your skin!

👶 For kids: If something is linen, it's made from the linen cloth.

More Examples

2

She bought linen napkins to match her tablecloth.

How It's Used

Fashion

"She wore a linen dress on the warm summer day."

Home Decor

"The linen curtains softly filtered the sunlight."

Tip:The adjective describes something made *of* linen.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Idioms & expressions

dirty linen

Private or embarrassing matters.

"They aired their dirty linen in public when they discussed the company's financial troubles."

From Old English 'līn', derived from Latin 'linum', referring to the flax plant from which linen is made.

Linen has been used for thousands of years, dating back to ancient civilizations.

Memory tip

Think of a 'line' of flax fibers woven together to make linen.

Word Origin

LanguageLatin
Original meaning

"Flax"

linen sheetslinen dresslinen clothlinen napkinsfresh linen

Common misspellings

linninlinnen

Usage

30%Spoken
70%Written