linen
    n 1: a fabric woven with fibers from the flax plant
    2: a high-quality paper made of linen fibers or with a linen
       finish [syn: linen, linen paper]
    3: white goods or clothing made with linen cloth

Linen \Lin"en\ (l[i^]n"[e^]n), a. [OE., fr. lin linen. See
   Linen, n.]
   1. Made of linen; as, linen cloth; a linen stocking.
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   2. Resembling linen cloth; white; pale.
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Linen \Lin"en\, n. [Prop. an adj. from OE. lin flax, AS.
   l[imac]n flax, whence l[imac]nen made of flax; akin to OS.,
   Icel., & MHG. l[imac]n flax and linen, G. lein, leinen,
   linen, Sw. lin flax, Goth. lein linen, L. linum flax, linen,
   Gr. li`non. Cf. Line, Linseed.]
   1. Thread or cloth made of flax or (rarely) of hemp; -- used
      in a general sense to include cambric, shirting, sheeting,
      towels, tablecloths, etc.; as, bed linens "In linen white
      as milk." --Robert of Brunne.
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   2. Underclothing, esp. the shirt, as being, in former times,
      chiefly made of linen.
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   Linen draper, a dealer in linen.

   Linen prover, a small microscope for counting the threads
      in a given space in linen fabrics.

   Linen scroll, Linen pattern (Arch.), an ornament for
      filling panels, copied from the folds of a piece of stuff
      symmetrically disposed.
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Linen
   (1.) Heb., pishet, pishtah, denotes "flax," of which linen is
   made (Isa. 19:9); wrought flax, i.e., "linen cloth", Lev. 13:47,
   48, 52, 59; Deut. 22:11.
   
     Flax was early cultivated in Egypt (Ex. 9:31), and also in
   Palestine (Josh. 2:6; Hos. 2:9). Various articles were made of
   it: garments (2 Sam. 6:14), girdles (Jer. 13:1), ropes and
   thread (Ezek. 40:3), napkins (Luke 24:12; John 20:7), turbans
   (Ezek. 44:18), and lamp-wicks (Isa. 42:3).
   
     (2.) Heb. buts, "whiteness;" rendered "fine linen" in 1 Chr.
   4:21; 15:27; 2 Chr. 2:14; 3:14; Esther 1:6; 8:15, and "white
   linen" 2 Chr. 5:12. It is not certain whether this word means
   cotton or linen.
   
     (3.) Heb. bad; rendered "linen" Ex. 28:42; 39:28; Lev. 6:10;
   16:4, 23, 32; 1 Sam. 2:18; 2 Sam. 6:14, etc. It is uniformly
   used of the sacred vestments worn by the priests. The word is
   from a root signifying "separation."
   
     (4.) Heb. shesh; rendered "fine linen" Ex. 25:4; 26:1, 31, 36,
   etc. In Prov. 31:22 it is rendered in Authorized Version "silk,"
   and in Revised Version "fine linen." The word denotes Egyptian
   linen of peculiar whiteness and fineness (byssus). The finest
   Indian linen, the finest now made, has in an inch one hundred
   threads of warp and eighty-four of woof; while the Egyptian had
   sometimes one hundred and forty in the warp and sixty-four in
   the woof. This was the usual dress of the Egyptian priest.
   Pharaoh arrayed Joseph in a dress of linen (Gen. 41:42).
   
     (5.) Heb. 'etun. Prov. 7:16, "fine linen of Egypt;" in Revised
   Version, "the yarn of Egypt."
   
     (6.) Heb. sadin. Prov. 31:24, "fine linen;" in Revised
   Version, "linen garments" (Judg. 14:12, 13; Isa. 3:23). From
   this Hebrew word is probably derived the Greek word sindon,
   rendered "linen" in Mark 14:51, 52; 15:46; Matt. 27:59.
   
     The word "linen" is used as an emblem of moral purity (Rev.
   15:6). In Luke 16:19 it is mentioned as a mark of luxury.
   

LINEN, n.  "A kind of cloth the making of which, when made of hemp,
entails a great waste of hemp." -- Calcraft the Hangman.