1. A smooth fabric, as of silk or rayon, woven with a glossy face and a dull back.
2. A garment made of this fabric.

1. Made of or covered with satin.
2. Glossy, sleek, and smooth.

[Middle English, from Old French, probably from Arabic ('aṭlas) zaytūnī, (satin) of Zaitun, from Zaytūn, probably Tsinkiang (Quanzhou), China.]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.