serge
UK /sɜːd͡ʒ/ · US /sɝd͡ʒ/ noun, verb
Forms serges serging serged
- noun (textiles) A type of worsted cloth.
- noun (by metonymy) A garment made of this fabric.
- verb (sewing) To overlock.
- noun A large wax candle used in some church ceremonies.
Etymology
From Middle English sarge, from Old French sarge, serge, from Vulgar Latin *sarica, from Latin sērica (“silken, silk things”), from Ancient Greek σηρικός (sērikós, “silken”), from σήρ (sḗr, “silkworm”) + -ικός (-ikós, “-ic”), possibly from Old Chinese 絲 (*sə, “silk”). Doublet of silk and seric.
From Middle English cerge, from Old French ci(e)rge, cerge & chierge.
Webster’s 1913
- noun A woolen twilled stuff, much used as material for clothing for both sexes. Silk serge, a twilled silk fabric used mostly by tailors for lining parts of gentlemen's coats.
- noun A large wax candle used in the ceremonies of various churches.
Etymology [F. serge, sarge, originally, a silken stuff, fr. L. serica, f. or neut. pl. of sericus silken. See Sericeous, Silk.]
Etymology [F. cierge.]
Sources: Wiktionary · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “serge”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details