satin

Meanings

Noun

• A cloth woven from silk, nylon or polyester with a glossy surface and a dull back. (The same weaving technique applied to cotton produces cloth termed sateen).

Adjective

• Semigloss.

Verb

• To make (paper, silver, etc.) smooth and glossy like satin.

Origin

• From French satin, which is derived from "Zaitun", the Arabic name for the Chinese city of Quanzhou, itself derived from Arabic زَيْتُون.