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What is the difference between cotton and silk?

cotton | silk |

As nouns the difference between cotton and silk

is that cotton is a plant that encases its seed in a thin fiber that is harvested and used as a fabric or cloth while silk is a fine fiber excreted by the silkworm or other arthropod (such as a spider).

As adjectives the difference between cotton and silk

is that cotton is made of cotton while silk is made of silk.

As verbs the difference between cotton and silk

is that cotton is to get on with someone or something; to have a good relationship with someone while silk is {{cx|transitive|lang=en}} To remove the silk from (corn).

As a proper noun Cotton

is the name of several settlements around the world.

cotton

English

(cotton)

Etymology 1

(etyl) cotoun, from (etyl) cotun, (etyl) coton, from (Genoese) (etyl) cotone, from (Egyptian) (etyl) , possibly originally from (etyl). Cognate to Dutch katoen, German Kattun, Italian cotone, Spanish

Noun

(en-noun)
  • A plant that encases its seed in a thin fiber that is harvested and used as a fabric or cloth.
  • Gossypium , a genus of plant used as a source of cotton fiber.
  • (textiles) The textile made from the fiber harvested from the cotton plant.
  • (countable) An item of clothing made from cotton.
    • Derived terms
    * cotton candy * cottongrass * cotton pad * cotton picker * cottonseed * cotton stripper * cotton wool * cotton gin * cotton card * cotton blend

    Adjective

    (-)
  • Made of cotton.
  • * {{quote-book, year=1963, author=(Margery Allingham)
    • , title=(The China Governess) , chapter=2 citation , passage=Now that she had rested and had fed from the luncheon tray Mrs. Broome had just removed, she had reverted to her normal gaiety.  She looked cool in a grey tailored cotton dress with a terracotta scarf and shoes and her hair a black silk helmet.}}

    Etymology 2

    1560s, either from (etyl) cydun, , literally “to be at one with”, or by metaphor with the textile, as cotton blended well with other textiles, notably wool in hat-making. Take Our Word For It: Issue 178, page 2]Folk-etymology: a dictionary of verbal corruptions or words perverted in form or meaning, by false derivation or mistaken analogy, Abram Smythe Palmer, G. Bell and Sons, 1882, [http://books.google.com/books?id=YX5BAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA76&dq=cotton p. 76

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To get on with someone or something; to have a good relationship with someone.
  • * '>citation
  • * '>citation
    • Usage notes
    Generally used with prepositions on, to; see cotton on, cotton to.
    Derived terms
    * cotton on * cotton to

    References

    English terms with multiple etymologies

    silk

    English

    (wikipedia silk)

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (uncountable) A fine fiber excreted by the silkworm or other arthropod (such as a spider).
    • The silk thread was barely visible.
  • (uncountable) A fine, soft cloth woven from silk fibers.
    • I had a small square of silk , but it wasn't enough to make what I wanted.
  • That which resembles silk, such as the filiform styles of the female flower of maize.
  • The gown worn by a Senior (i.e. Queen's/King's) Counsel.
  • (colloquial) A Senior (i.e. Queen's/King's) Counsel.

    • Derived terms

    * make a silk purse of a sow's ear * silken * silky * silkweaver * silkweaving * silkworm * smooth as silk * take silk

    See also

    * sericin

    Adjective

    (-)
  • Made of .
  • *
  • *:It was flood-tide along Fifth Avenue; motor, brougham, and victoria swept by on the glittering current; pretty women glanced out from limousine and tonneau; young men of his own type, silk -hatted, frock-coated, the crooks of their walking sticks tucked up under their left arms, passed on the Park side.
  • Looking like silk, silken.
  • *{{quote-book, year=1963, author=(Margery Allingham)
    • , title=(The China Governess) , chapter=2 citation , passage=Now that she had rested and had fed from the luncheon tray Mrs. Broome had just removed, she had reverted to her normal gaiety.  She looked cool in a grey tailored cotton dress with a terracotta scarf and shoes and her hair a black silk helmet.}}

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To remove the silk from (corn).
  • * 2013 , Lynetra T. Griffin, From Whence We Came (page 17)
    • While we shucked and silked the corn, we talked, sang old nursery rhymes

    Anagrams

    *