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Glite Dictionary
silk serge

silk serge

7.7
A smooth, strong silk cloth used to line coats and jackets
  • noun
  • /sɪlk sɜrdʒ/
  • Specialized
translation icon : sarga de seda
  • He preferred suits lined with silk serge for their smooth texture and durability.

Examples

  • The tailor recommended silk serge as the perfect lining for my bespoke jacket.

  • The tailor used silk serge to line the coat.

  • In the museum, an ancient piece of silk serge was displayed behind glass.

  • He prefers silk serge for his formal jackets.

  • The tailor recommended silk serge as the perfect lining for my bespoke jacket.

  • He preferred suits lined with silk serge for their smooth texture and durability.

  • The designer chose silk serge for the luxurious lining of the evening gown.

Synonyms

sarcenet
vssilk serge
  • Archaic
9.9

A fine soft silk cloth used for linings and delicate clothes

is a twilled silk fabric used specifically for lining coats
sarsenet
vssilk serge
  • Archaic
9.9

A fine soft silk cloth used to line clothes

is the twilled form used mainly as lining in men's coats

How Smooth

satin
41 3.2
velvet
149 2.5
silk serge
  • Specialized
7.7
wool
140 1.0
burlap
  • US
23 6.1

Surface Forms

silk serge singular
silk serges plural

Morphology

silk + serge

The phrase names a type of fabric that is simply the serge weave made from silk; its meaning is a straightforward combination of 'silk' (the fiber/fabric) and 'serge' (a twilled fabric). This noun–noun compounding is fully compositional and follows regular English word-formation, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would be able to infer the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

Silk serge comes from putting silk (the smooth material) together with serge (an older word for a strong cloth with diagonal lines). One popular story says tailors made a sturdy, diagonal-woven cloth from silk to fit inside men's coats, so today silk serge means a smooth, durable 'lining' fabric.