silks

Meanings

1. 1nounpluralspecialist

   The bright, patterned jacket and cap that a jockey wears in a horse race.

   Grammar: Usually plural in this sense: 'his silks', 'the winning silks'.

   Patterns

   • wear silks
   • in silks
   • the jockey's silks

   The jockey wore blue and white silks in the Derby.

   Each horse's owner has their own distinctive silks.

   She changed into her silks before the race.

2. 2noununcountable

   Fine, soft cloth made from threads produced by silkworms, or items made from this cloth.

   Grammar: When it means the material, 'silk' is uncountable: 'a dress made of silk'. The plural 'silks' can mean different types of silk fabric or silk clothes.

   Patterns

   • made of silk
   • pure silk
   • a silk scarf

   The shop sells beautiful silks from India.

   She wore a gown of the finest silk.

   These silks are too delicate to wash in a machine.

Word forms

Common combinations

jockey's silks

The jockey's silks were bright yellow and green.

wear silks

Only the leading jockeys get to wear silks in this race.

in silks

The rider appeared in silks that matched the owner's colors.

change into silks

He changed into his silks before the big race.

Synonyms and how they differ

racing colors

This is a more general term for the same clothing; 'silks' is more specific to the jacket and cap.

Word family

silk noun

The base form, meaning the fine fabric.

silky adjective

Meaning smooth and soft like silk.

silkworm noun

The caterpillar that produces silk threads.

Commonly confused: silks or silkscreen?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “silks”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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