Log in or Sign up
  1. merino love

Definitions

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

  1. n. Any of a breed of sheep, originally from Spain, having long fine wool.
  2. n. The wool of this sheep.
  3. n. A soft lightweight fabric made originally of merino wool but now of any fine wool.
  4. n. A fine wool and cotton yarn used especially for knitting underwear and hosiery.
  5. n. A knitted fabric made from this yarn.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

  1. Noting a variety of sheep from Spain, or their wool. See below.
  2. Made of the wool of the merino sheep: as, merino stockings or underclothing. The articles so designated are usually made with an admixture of cotton to prevent shrinkage.
  3. n. A merino sheep.
  4. n. A thin woolen cloth, twilled on both sides and used especially for women's dresses, now to some extent superseded by cashmere. It was originally made of the wool of the merino sheep. There is a variety which has an admixture of silk.
  5. n. A variety of tricot or knitted material for undergarments.

Wiktionary

  1. n. countable A breed of Spanish sheep that has long, fine hair
  2. n. uncountable The wool of this sheep
  3. n. The fabric made from this wool (or from any similar yarn)
  4. n. A yarn made from a combination of wool and cotton in imitation of this wool

GNU Webster's 1913

  1. adj. Of or pertaining to a variety of sheep with very fine wool, originally bred in Spain.
  2. adj. Made of the wool of the merino sheep.
  3. n. (Zoöl.) A breed of sheep originally from Spain, noted for the fineness of its wool.
  4. n. A fine fabric of merino wool.

WordNet 3.0

  1. n. white sheep originating in Spain and producing a heavy fleece of exceptional quality

Etymologies

  1. Spanish, perhaps from Berber Benī Merīn, name of the tribe that developed the breed, or from Spanish merino, local magistrate (from Latin māiōrīnus, larger, from māior; see major). (American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition)

Examples

Show 10 more examples...

Lists

These user-created lists contain the word ‘merino’.

Comments

Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.

  • kewpid The best damned wool in the world. Made in Australia. Oct 6, 2007

  • polymorph This word always calls to mind a quote from one of my favorite pieces by John Muir:

    "Give to Nature every cultured apple--codling, pippin, russet--and every sheep so laboriously compounded--muffled Southdowns, hairy Cotswolds, wrinkled Merinos--and she would throw the one to her caterpillars, the other to her wolves." Apr 15, 2007

Tweets

Looking for tweets for merino.

‘merino’ has been looked up 1413 times, loved by 1 person, added to 16 lists, commented on 2 times, and has a Scrabble score of 8.