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Glite Dictionary
sericeous

sericeous

9.9
A surface with fine soft hairs that look like silk
  • adjective
  • /səˈrɪʃəs/
  • Specialized
translation icon : sericáceo
  • The leaves of the plant are sericeous, giving them a silvery sheen in the sunlight.

Examples

  • The sericeous leaves of the plant felt soft to the touch.

  • Some caterpillars appear sericeous due to the fine, silky hairs on their bodies.

  • Botanists examine whether a specimen is sericeous to help with accurate identification.

  • Is that flower sericeous or just fuzzy?

  • Some caterpillars appear sericeous due to the fine, silky hairs on their bodies.

  • The leaves of the plant are sericeous, giving them a silvery sheen in the sunlight.

  • Botanists examine whether a specimen is sericeous to help with accurate identification.

Synonyms

fuzzy
vssericeous
44 1.1

Covered with soft light hairs like kitten fur

describes similar hairiness but with a clearer smooth and lustrous surface
silky
vssericeous
37 1.0

Smooth and soft to touch like fine cloth

refers especially to actual hair or down covering, not just texture
downy
vssericeous
4 4.2

Soft and having many fine, light hairs or feathers

has similar fine hair but with a more smooth shiny texture rather than fluffy
hoary
vssericeous
  • Specialized
1 9.8

Covered with fine white hairs, usually on plants or animals

means similar fine hair covering but without implying pale or aged color
puberulent
vssericeous
  • Specialized
9.9

A plant surface that has fine, short, soft hairs

emphasizes soft lustrous hair covering rather than only very short hairs
pubescent
vssericeous
  • Specialized
7.7

Covered with soft fine hairs like down

stresses a smooth shiny feel rather than general hair coverage
silklike
vssericeous
3.7

Having a smooth, soft, and shiny feel like fine cloth

focuses on hair or down specifically, not only general smoothness or shine
silky-leaved
vssericeous
6.5

Leaves that are soft and shiny feel smooth to touch

applies to any surface with fine soft hairs or down, not only leaves

Antonyms

bald
280 1.0

Having little or no hair on the head

How Hairy

tomentose
  • Specialized
9.9
hairy
134 1.0
sericeous
  • Specialized
9.9
pubescent
  • Specialized
7.7
glabrous
  • Specialized
9.9

Surface Forms

sericeous positive

Morphology

sericeous = serice + ous

Formed from a non‑English combining form 'serice-' plus the productive suffix '-ous'; the base is not a recognizable English word for learners, so the meaning cannot be reliably derived from component parts.

Etymology

Sericeous comes from the Latin sericeus, from sericum, meaning 'silk'. Think of a leaf or caterpillar 'covered with silk', with fine, soft hairs, and you can see why sericeous means 'covered with fine, silky hairs or down'.