Lin"en , n. [Prop. an adj. from OE. lin flax, AS. līn flax, whence līnen made of flax; akin
to OS., Icel., & MHG. līn flax
and linen, G. lein, leinen, linen, Sw. lin flax, Goth. lein linen, L. linum flax, linen, Gr. li`non. Cf. Line, Linseed.]
1. Thread or cloth made of
flax or (rarely) of hemp; -- used in a general sense to include cambric, shirting, sheeting,
towels, tablecloths, etc. "In linen white as milk." Robert of Brunne.
2. Underclothing,
esp. the shirt, as being, in former times, chiefly made of linen.
Linen draper, a dealer in linen. -- Linen prover, a small microscope for counting the threads in a given space in linen fabrics. -- Linen
scroll, Linen pattern (Arch.),
an ornament for filling panels, copied from the folds of a piece of stuff symmetrically disposed.
Lin"en (l&ibreve;n"&ebreve;n), a. [OE., fr. lin linen. See Linen, n.]
1. Made of
linen; as, linen cloth; a linen stocking.
2.
Resembling linen cloth;
white; pale.
Hear it pronounced