linen

adjective lin·en \ ˈli-nən \

Updated on: 12 Apr 2018

Definition of linen

1 : made of flax

2 : made of or resembling linen

Origin and Etymology of linen

Middle English, from Old English līnen, from līn flax, from Latin linum flax; akin to Greek linon flax, thread

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

Other Textiles Terms

batt, bias, brocade, duck, flock, lawn, toile

linen

noun

Definition of linen

1 a : cloth made of flax and noted for its strength, coolness, and luster

b : thread or yarn spun from flax

2 : clothing or household articles made of linen cloth or similar fabric

3 : paper made from linen fibers or with a linen finish

See linen defined for English-language learners

See linen defined for kids

Examples of linen in a Sentence

She washes the linen every week.

Recent Examples of linen from the Web

Saint, looking super stylish sporting tiny cornrows and a fresh white linen short-sleeved collared shirt, cuddled what looks to be a fuzzy baby duckling.

— megan decker, Harper's BAZAAR, "Kim Kardashian Just Shared the Cutest Portrait with Chicago and Kanye West," 6 Apr. 2018
Dark woods are punctuated with orange accents and crisp white linens; modern must-haves include 55-inch TVs and efficient Wi-Fi.

— BostonGlobe.com, "Hot Sara is back," 5 Apr. 2018
Other treasures at this year's sale include glass, sterling silver, china, linens, fine jewelry and books, all donated by the Colonial Dames, who maintain the Webb-Deane-Stevens Museum.

— Courant Community, "Community News For The Wethersfield Edition," 3 Apr. 2018
Parachute For cold sleepers, consider investing in linen instead of cotton.

— banu ibrahim, CNN Underscored, "Luxury linens that are worth the price," 28 Mar. 2018
The seeds would sprout and the figures would be dried in the sun, wrapped in linen and placed on the waterway in votive barques guided to Canopus.

— edward rothstein, WSJ, "‘Sunken Cities: Egypt’s Lost Worlds’ Review: Treasures Beneath the Waves," 27 Mar. 2018
Something which is very lightweight, very airy, with a lot of linen and cotton that has a 1950s subcultural movement.

— refinery29.com, "Finally, J.W.Anderson's Second Uniqlo Collaboration Is Here," 20 Mar. 2018
According to the Mayo Clinic, there a few ways of contracting this fungus: Human to human, animal to human (cats are a common source), and object to human (clothing, towels, bedding/ linens, combs, and brushes).

— mona gohara, Good Housekeeping, "7 Common Scalp Issues — And How to Treat Them," 13 Mar. 2018
The living room’s sectional is custom, the Lee Industries armchair has a slipcover in natural white linen, and the leather chair is from the Rela Gleason Collection.

— elisabeth malkin, ELLE Decor, "House Tour: A Bohemian Retreat In San Miguel de Allende Reflects Local Traditions," 20 Feb. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'linen.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.