samite

Meanings

1. 1noununcountablearchaicliterary

   A heavy, shiny silk cloth woven in medieval times, often with gold or silver threads.

   Grammar: Found in historical and fantasy writing; it names a cloth, as in a robe of samite.

   Patterns

   • a robe of samite

   The queen's gown was made of green samite.

   Samite was one of the most expensive cloths in the Middle Ages.

   The knight carried a banner of white samite.

2. 2nouncountablerareliterary

   A garment or hanging made of this rich fabric.

   Grammar: Rare; it names an item rather than the cloth: a samite hung from the wall.

   Patterns

   • clothed in samite

   The saint was wrapped in a samite of crimson.

   In the poem, a hand appears clothed in white samite.

   A samite covered the altar.

Word forms

Common combinations

robe of samite

She wore a robe of samite for the coronation.

white samite

The lady stood in white samite.

samite cloth

A samite cloth covered the table.

mystic samite

The poem speaks of an arm clothed in mystic samite.

clothed in samite

The queen was clothed in samite.

Synonyms and how they differ

silk

Silk is the general word for the fiber and fabric, whereas samite is a particular heavy, rich weave.

brocade

Brocade has a raised pattern woven in, while samite is a plain heavy silk, often with metallic thread.

satin

Satin is a smooth shiny weave made today in many fibers, while samite refers to a historical silk.

damask

Damask is a reversible patterned fabric, while samite is a thicker, twill-like silk.

Word family

samites noun

plural, rarely used

hexamitos noun

the Greek word meaning six threads, from which samite comes

examitum noun

the medieval Latin form from which samite developed

Practice

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