▪ I. silky, a. (n.)
(ˈsɪlkɪ)
[f. silk n. + -y.]
1. a. Silken; made or consisting of silk.
| 1611 Cotgr., Soyeux, silky; bristlie (full of silke or of bristles). 1724 Ramsay Health 20 Cosmellius may on silky twilts repose. 1743–6 Shenstone Eleg. xviii. 51 But Albion's youth..In silky folds each nervous limb disguise. 1868 Rep. U.S. Comm. Agric. (1869) 288 The regeneration and spinning of silky waste of all kinds. |
b. As
n. (See
quot. 1976.)
| 1822 T. Bewick Memoir (1975) ii. 16, I..was only to walk along the dark passage to the back Door and to repeat something (rather ominous indeed) about ‘Silkey & Hedley Kow’. 1866 W. Henderson Folk Lore Northern Counties vii. 230 Black Heddon..was greatly disturbed by a supernatural being, popularly called Silky, from the nature of her robes. 1912 in R. Tongue Forgotten Folk-Tales English Counties (1970) iii. v. 202 Gilsland's lord had a silky who cleaned the house-place, devilled and punched lazy serving-wenches and kept all shining clean. 1967 Tablet 16 Dec. 1307/2 Nearly all peoples, the world over, have believed in beings they called elves, silkies, trolls, elementals or fairies. 1976 K. M. Briggs Dict. Fairies 365 The Northumbrian and Border silky..is always female... She is a spirit dressed in rustling silk, who does domestic chores about the house and is a terror to idle servants. |
2. a. Having the delicate softness of silk.
| 1666 J. Smith Old Age 144 The several graces..of Musick, the soft and silky touches, the quick and pleasant relishes. 1710 Congreve An Impossible Thing 79 His eyes a silky slumber seiz'd. 1820 Praed Changing Quarters 71 Are hearts of stone So small, and soft, and silky grown? 1870 Eng. Mech. 11 Feb. 534 A true Cremona..may be known by the..silky quality of its tone. 1897 Watts-Dunton Aylwin ii. ix, The touch of Winnie's clasping fingers, silky and soft. |
b. Of liquor: Having a soft delicate taste.
| 1743 London & Country Brewer iv. (ed. 2) 291 If they do not brew and sell a clear, pleasant, silky Beer. 1834 M{supc}Culloch Dict. Comm. (ed. 2) s.v. Wine, The first mentioned [variety of claret]..is characterised by its silky softness on the palate. 1894 Outing XXIV. 473/1 Copious draughts of soft and silky claret. |
| absol. 1852 Bristed Five Yrs. Eng. Univ. 50 A very enticing mixture appropriately called silky,..made of rum and madeira. |
3. a. Of speech, manners, etc.: Smooth, pleasing, ingratiating, insinuating.
| 1778 Earl Malmesbury Diaries & Corr I. 197 Whilst they permitted themselves to be amused with silky speeches..they were only allowing their ill-wishers to gain time. 1794 Mathias Purs. Lit. (1798) 73 Better preach With silky voice, and sacred flow'rs of speech. 1836 Hood Poetry, Prose, & Worse xxiv, No documents tender and silky Are writ such as poets would pen. 1866 Mrs. Gaskell Wives & Dau. xxix, Mrs Gibson..petted him in her sweetest, silkiest manner. 1885 Manch. Exam. 11 Mar. 5/5 He stated his case in his silkiest and most persuasive accents. |
b. Of persons: Quiet or smooth of manner.
| 1826 Miss Mitford Village Ser. ii. (1863) 325 Her smooth silky husband crept behind me with the stealthy pace of a cat. 1880 Meredith Tragic Com. (1881) 279 Imagine a quiet little advocate, very precise and silky. 1890 ‘R. Boldrewood’ Col. Reformer (1891) 427 The silky, graceful serviteur des dames. |
c. Of a machine, mechanism, etc., or its motion: smooth.
| 1935 Times 23 Apr. 17/6 The engine is silky and quiet throughout its range. 1977 Gramophone Nov. 960/2 To provide a silky movement of the tuning control, and gearing down of the knob, the Tandberg engineers have made use of a two-gang variable capacitor with its inbuilt gearing. |
4. a. Having the gloss of silk; resembling silk in lustre.
| 1730 Phil. Trans. XXXVI. 344 His Tongue not hard,..but of its natural Colour, with a silky Driness. 1797 Encycl. Brit. (ed. 3) XI. 446/1 Such are the minerals called silky copper ores, and several white and green earths. 1838 T. Thomson Chem. Org. Bodies 764 The crystals are either silky needles or short prisms. 1857 Miller Elem. Chem., Org. iii. §2 (1862) 171 White silky crystals of ethionic anhydride. |
b. Having a texture like that of silk.
| 1757 Dyer Fleece ii. 137 To spread upon its fields the dews of heav'n, And feed the silky Fleece. 1796 Withering Brit. Pl. (ed. 3) II. 50 Leaves thick,..clothed on both sides with a silvery white silky down. 1828 Stark Elem. Nat. Hist. I. 80 Fur dark brown, very soft, and silky, shaded with chestnut. 1840 Penny Cycl. XVIII. 65/1 The webs of the white feathers..are silky to the sight and touch. 1856 Lever Martins of Cro' M. 121 The young girl..wrung out the rain from her long and silky hair. |
5. Bot. a. Covered with fine, soft, close-set hairs having a silk-like gloss; sericeous.
| 1776 J. Lee Introd. Bot. 385 Sericeum, silky, covered with soft silky Hairs. 1796 Withering Brit. Pl. (ed. 3) IV. 192 Stem cylindrical, silky, pinky. 1850 Beck's Florist Jan. 15 The leaves are narrow, lanceolate, and densely silky on both sides. 1870 Hooker Stud. Flora 116 Potentilla anserina..softly silky, especially on the leaves. |
b. In the specific names of trees and shrubs:
silky gum,
silky willow;
silky cornel = next;
silky dogwood, a large shrub,
Cornus amomum, native to eastern North America, whose leaves have silky hairs on their lower sides;
silky oak, one of several Australian trees of the family Proteaceæ,
esp. Grevillea robusta or
Cardwellia sublimis, or the oak-like timber produced by them.
| 1848 A. Gray Man. Botany Northern U.S. 168 (heading) Silky cornel. 1891 J. M. Coulter Bot. W. Texas i. 150 Silky cornel... Common in the Atlantic States and extending into eastern and northern Texas. 1900 B. B. Smyth Plants & Flowers Kansas ii. 25 It is the Silky Dogwood; grows in clumps; and had blue berries when ripe, in broad cymose clusters. 1957 W. C. Grimm Bk. Shrubs 351 The Silky Dogwood is sometimes called the Silky Cornel, Swamp Dogwood, or Kinnikinnick. |
| 1889 J. H. Maiden Useful Plants 514 Eucalyptus saligna... Other New South Wales names for it are ‘Grey Box’ and ‘Silky Gum’. |
| 1866 Treas. Bot. 789/2 Silky, or Silkbark Oak, Grevillea robusta. 1888 F. M. Bailey Queensland Woods 104 S[tenocarpus] salignus... One of the woods called Silky Oak. 1889 J. H. Maiden Useful Plants 581 Orites excelsa,..‘Red Ash’. ‘Silky Oak’. 1965 Austral. Encycl. II. 180/2 The northern silky oak, Cardwellia sublimis of Queensland, is also sometimes known as bull oak. |
| 1891 Ardrossan Herald 30 Oct. 2 The little Silky Willow, Salix fusca, commands attention from the peculiarity of its growth. |
6. Nat. Hist. Having silk-like hair, plumage, etc.
a. In names of monkeys.
| 1781 Pennant Hist. Quadrup. I. 210 Silkey Monkey. 1827 Griffith tr. Cuvier V. 42 Simia Midas rosalia (the Silky Tamarin). 1876 Nature XIV. 121/2 A Silky Marmoset (Midas rosalia). Ibid. 538/1 Two Silky Marmosets (Hapale chrysoleucus) from S.E. Brazil. |
b. In names of birds; also as
n., a silk-fowl.
| 1783 Latham Gen. Synop. Birds II. i. 96 Silky Chatterer..inhabits the province of Maynas, in South America. 1823 ― Gen. Hist. Birds VII. 9 Silky Warbler (Sylvia sericea)... Inhabits the Southern parts of Spain. 1829 Griffith tr. Cuvier VIII. 82 Silky Pigeon, Columba Holosericea. 1849 D. J. Browne Amer. Poultry Yd. (1855) 81 The ‘silky’ and ‘negro’ fowls,..with skin, combs, and bones which are black. |
c. In names of moths; also as
n.| 1832 J. Rennie Consp. Butterfl. & Moths 186 The Silky (Orthotelia sericea). Ibid. 211 Dale's Silky (Melia ? sericea, Stephens). 1887 Cassell's Encycl. Dict., Silky-wainscot, a British night-moth, Senta maritima. Ibid., Silky-wave, a British geometer-moth, Acidalia holosericata. |
7. Comb., as
silky-black,
silky-leaved,
silky-looking,
silky-soft,
silky-textured,
silky-voiced.
| 1742 Young Nt. Th. ii. 241 Silky-soft Favonius breathe still softer, or be chid. 1817 Stephens in Shaw Gen. Zool. X. i. 95 Silky-black Swallow, beneath white, with the forehead and throat rusty yellow. 1855 Miss Pratt Fl. Pl. V. 94 Silky-leaved Osier, or Smith's Willow. Leaves..white and glossy beneath. 1857 Miller Elem. Chem., Org. (1862) 781 Sericin is a white silky-looking substance. 1895 C. Holland Jap. Wife 124 Wrapping up our presents in soft, silky textured rice-paper. |
▪ II. silky var. sealchie, -kie.