linen
/ˈlɪnɪn/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈlɪnɪn/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈli-nən/ (ame, mw)
linen — noun
1. a type of fabric woven from fibres harvested from flax, valued for being strong,
a type of fabric woven from fibres harvested from flax, valued for being strong, lightweight, and cool against the skin
Mauricio wore a white linen shirt to the wedding because the fabric kept him cool.
collocation: linen shirt / linen suit / linen trousers
Unlike cotton, linen wrinkles easily, but many people love its natural texture and breathability.
uncountable — no article when referring to the material
The museum curator explained that the ancient Egyptian burial cloth was made of fine linen.
Nkechi bought several metres of pure linen to sew curtains for her bedroom windows.
Élise bought a white linen shirt for her beach vacation, hoping to stay cool.
文法句型
linen + noun (as modifier: linen shirt, linen trousers)
pure/fine/white linen
用法筆記
Uncountable in this sense — you cannot say 'a linen' to mean a piece of fabric. When used as a modifier before nouns (linen trousers, linen cloth), it describes the material something is made from.
常見錯誤
2. household textile items such as sheets, pillowcases, tablecloths, and napkins, w
household textile items such as sheets, pillowcases, tablecloths, and napkins, whether made from genuine linen fabric or from another material that looks like it
The hotel changes all its bed linens every morning before new guests arrive.
bed linens — common collocation in hospitality contexts
Nora bought new linen for the dining room, including a tablecloth and six matching napkins.
Guests should place used linens in the laundry basket before checking out of the hotel.
The corner shop sells household linens such as towels, sheets, and pillow covers.
Aunt Rosa keeps her best linen tablecloth in a special drawer for holidays and dinners.
- bedding
bedding specifically covers bed items (sheets, pillowcases, duvet covers); linen is broader and includes tablecloths and napkins
- household textiles
a more general, modern term that includes items made of cotton, polyester, or blends; linen is more traditional and specific
文法句型
linens (plural) — specific items
household linen / bed linen / table linen
the linens — a set of items
用法筆記
When used as a category (household linen, bed linen), the word is uncountable and takes a singular verb. When referring to a countable set of individual items, the plural linens is common, especially in hospitality contexts ('fresh linens', 'the linens need changing').
常見錯誤
linen — adjective
- linenpositive
- more linencomparative
- most linensuperlative
1. describing an item whose fabric is woven from the fibres of the flax plant, not
describing an item whose fabric is woven from the fibres of the flax plant, not from cotton, wool, or synthetic materials
Hamza prefers linen trousers to cotton ones because linen feels lighter in hot weather.
linen trousers — attributive adjective before noun
The museum showed a linen garment worn by an Egyptian queen three thousand years ago.
Rin sewed a linen yoga mat bag from fabric her grandmother wove by hand.
Linen threads were used to bind important books because of their great strength.
文法句型
linen + noun (linen garment, linen thread)
pure linen + noun
用法筆記
This adjective is always attributive — it goes before the noun it describes (a linen jacket, linen curtains). Do not use it after a linking verb: ✅ 'The jacket is made of linen.' ❌ 'The jacket is linen.' (though native speakers may use 'linen' as a noun modifier in informal speech: 'It's linen.')
常見錯誤
2. describing a material that looks like or copies the appearance of linen fabric,
describing a material that looks like or copies the appearance of linen fabric, either by blending flax with other fibres or by using synthetic materials to imitate the woven texture
The curtains are a linen blend that looks elegant but costs less than pure linen.
linen blend — describes a mix of flax and synthetic fibres
Henrik chose linen-textured wallpaper for a warm, natural feel in his study.
Those linen-style napkins on the table are polyester, not real flax fibres.
The designer chose a linen-look sofa fabric because it resists stains better than real linen.
- linen-textured
emphasises the surface appearance rather than the actual material
- linen-look
clearly indicates an imitation; common in home decor product labels
文法句型
linen + noun (linen blend, linen texture)
linen-style + noun
linen-look + noun
用法筆記
This sense is most often found in product descriptions and retail contexts. Words like blend, -style, -look, and -textured signal that the item is not pure linen. When in doubt about whether a product is genuine flax linen or a linen-like imitation, check the care label for material composition.