merino

noun

me·​ri·​no mə-ˈrē-(ˌ)nō 

plural merinos

1

: any of a breed of fine-wooled white sheep originating in Spain and producing a heavy fleece of exceptional quality

2

: a soft wool or wool and cotton clothing fabric resembling cashmere

3

: a fine wool and cotton yarn used for hosiery and knitwear

merino adjective

Examples of merino in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

And thanks to their merino wool blend—helpful for moisture control and odor resistance—I did’t have to worry about ruining good shoes with gross foot sweat. —Christa Sgobba, Glamour, 31 Mar. 2026

Cultiver’s sumptuous new throw is made with merino wool sourced from New Zealand’s South Island. —Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 31 Mar. 2026

Even socks are critical items at these latitudes; the Danes recently placed an order for 750,000 pairs of Finland’s finest merino specimens (perfect for action in, say, Greenland). —Liam Denning, Bloomberg, 12 Mar. 2026

Fleece, merino wool, down, and synthetic fills can all be great mid layers. —Scott Gilbertson, Wired News, 7 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Spanish

First Known Use

1804, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for merino

• amino
• carlino
• casino
• imino
• ladino
• latino
• neutrino
• argentino
• campesino
• cappuccino
• diamino
• filipino

Kids Definition

merino

noun

me·​ri·​no mə-ˈrē-nō 

plural merinos

1

: any of a breed of sheep that produce a heavy fleece of fine white wool

2

: a fine soft wool or wool and cotton fabric resembling cashmere

3

: a fine wool and cotton yarn

merino adjective