1. 1. Thread made from fibers of the flax plant.
   2. Cloth woven from this thread.
2. also linens Articles or garments made from linen or a similar cloth, such as cotton; bed sheets and tablecloths.
3. Paper made from flax fibers or having a linenlike luster.

1. Made of flax or linen.
2. Resembling linen.

[Middle English, from Old English līnen, made of flax, from Germanic *līnin-, from *līnam, flax, probably from Latin līnum.]

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.