Sericum

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A type of silk produced from the cocoons of silkworms
2. A fine, soft textile derived from the fibers of silkworms used in luxurious clothing
3. A high-quality natural fiber known for its luster and smooth texture, often used in fashion and upholstery

Etymology: "Sericum" is the Latin word for silk, and it is the source of the English "serge" and "sericulture," though it is itself a borrowing. The Romans took it from Greek "sērikos," meaning "of the Seres," the name Greek and Roman writers gave to the people of northern China, from whom silk reached the Mediterranean world. Latin speakers thus used a word that literally meant "Chinese stuff" for the fabric before they knew much about where it came from. The Latin form is a neuter adjective used as a noun, "(fibrum) sericum" or simply "sericum," meaning silk, and it was used in classical texts by writers such as Pliny the Elder. The word passed into English mainly through scientific and technical Latin, so it appears mostly in specialist contexts, such as the term for the silk fibre a silkworm spins to form its cocoon.

Synonyms: silk, silken fabric