silkyadj.n.

1611 R. Cotgrave Dict. French & Eng. Tongues Soyeux, silky; bristlie (full of silke or of bristles).

1724 A. Ramsay Health 20 Cosmellius may on silky twilts repose.

1743–6 W. Shenstone Elegies xviii. 51 But Albion's youth..In silky folds each nervous limb disguise.

1869 Ann. Rep. Commissioner Agric. 1868 288 in U.S. Congress. Serial Set (40th Congr., 3rd Sess.: House of Representatives Executive Doc.) XV The regeneration and spinning of silky waste of all kinds.

1822 T. Bewick Mem. (1975) ii. 16 I..was only to walk along the dark passage to the back Door and to repeat something (rather ominous indeed) about ‘Silkey & Hedley Kow’.

1866 W. Henderson Notes Folk Lore Northern Counties vii. 230 Black Heddon..was greatly disturbed by a supernatural being, popularly called Silky, from the nature of her robes.

1912 in R. Tongue Forgotten Folk-Tales English Counties (1970) iii. v. 202 Gilsland's lord had a silky who cleaned the house-place, devilled and punched lazy serving-wenches and kept all shining clean.

1967 Tablet 16 Dec. 1307/2 Nearly all peoples, the world over, have believed in beings they called elves, silkies, trolls, elementals or fairies.

1976 K. M. Briggs Dict. Fairies 365 The Northumbrian and Border silky..is always female... She is a spirit dressed in rustling silk, who does domestic chores about the house and is a terror to idle servants.

1666 J. Smith Γηροκομία Βασιλικὴ 144 The several graces..of Musick, the soft and silky touches, the quick and pleasant relishes.

1720 W. Congreve Impossible Thing 6 His Eyes a silky Slumber seiz'd.

1820 W. M. Praed Changing Quarters 71 Are hearts of stone So small, and soft, and silky grown?

1870 Eng. Mech. 11 Feb. 534 A true Cremona..may be known by the..silky quality of its tone.

1897 T. Watts-Dunton Aylwin ii. ix The touch of Winnie's clasping fingers, silky and soft.

1778 Earl of Malmesbury Diaries & Corr. I. 197 Whilst they permitted themselves to be amused with silky speeches..they were only allowing their ill-wishers to gain time.

1798 T. J. Mathias Pursuits of Lit.: Pt. IV (ed. 5) 317 Better preach With silky voice, and sacred flow'rs of speech.

1836 T. Hood Poetry, Prose, & Worse xxiv No documents tender and silky Are writ such as poets would pen.

a1865 E. C. Gaskell Wives & Daughters (1866) I. xxix. 334 Mrs Gibson..petted him in her sweetest, silkiest manner.

1885 Manch. Examiner 11 Mar. 5/5 He stated his case in his silkiest and most persuasive accents.

1826 M. R. Mitford Our Village (1863) II. 325 Her smooth silky husband crept behind me with the stealthy pace of a cat.

1880 G. Meredith Tragic Comedians II. ix. 144 Imagine a quiet little advocate, very precise and silky.

1890 ‘R. Boldrewood’ Colonial Reformer (1891) 427 The silky, graceful serviteur des dames.

1935 Times 23 Apr. 17/6 The engine is silky and quiet throughout its range.

1977 Gramophone Nov. 960/2 To provide a silky movement of the tuning control, and gearing down of the knob, the Tandberg engineers have made use of a two-gang variable capacitor with its inbuilt gearing.

1731 Philos. Trans. 1729–30 (Royal Soc.) 36 344 His Tongue not hard,..but of its natural Colour, with a silky Driness.

1797 Encycl. Brit. XI. 446/1 Such are the minerals called silky copper ores, and several white and green earths.

1838 T. Thomson Chem. Org. Bodies 764 The crystals are either silky needles or short prisms.

1857 W. A. Miller Elements Chem.: Org. (1862) iii. §2. 171 White silky crystals of ethionic anhydride.

1757 J. Dyer Fleece ii. 52 To spread upon its fields the dews of heav'n, And feed the silky fleece.

1796 W. Withering Arrangem. Brit. Plants (ed. 3) II. 50 Leaves thick,..clothed on both sides with a silvery white silky down.

1828 J. Stark Elements Nat. Hist. I. 80 Fur dark brown, very soft, and silky, shaded with chestnut.

1840 Penny Cycl. XVIII. 65/1 The webs of the white feathers..are silky to the sight and touch.

1856 C. J. Lever Martins of Cro' Martin 121 The young girl..wrung out the rain from her long and silky hair.

1781 T. Pennant Hist. Quadrupeds I. 210 Silkey Monkey.

1827 E. Griffith et al. Cuvier's Animal Kingdom V. 42 Simia Midas rosalia (the Silky Tamarin).

1876 Nature 1 June 121/2 A Silky Marmoset (Midas rosalia).

1876 Nature 1 June 538/1 Two Silky Marmosets (Hapale chrysoleucus) from S.E. Brazil.

1781 J. Latham Gen. Synopsis Birds I. i. 96 Silky Chatterer..inhabits the province of Maynas, in South America.

1823 J. Latham Gen. Hist. Birds VII. 9 Silky Warbler (Sylvia sericea)... Inhabits the Southern parts of Spain.

1829 E. Griffith et al. Cuvier's Animal Kingdom VIII. 82 Silky Pigeon, Columba Holosericea.

1850 D. J. Browne Amer. Poultry Yard 81 The ‘silky’ and ‘negro’ fowls,..with skin, combs, and bones which are black.

1832 J. Rennie Conspectus Butterflies & Moths Brit. 186 The Silky (Orthotelia sericea).

1832 J. Rennie Conspectus Butterflies & Moths Brit. 211 Dale's Silky (Melia ? sericea, Stephens).

1887 Cassell's Encycl. Dict. VI. Silky-wainscot, a British night-moth, Senta maritima.

1887 Cassell's Encycl. Dict. VI. Silky-wave, a British geometer-moth, Acidalia holosericata.

1889 J. H. Maiden Useful Native Plants Austral. 514 Eucalyptus saligna... Other New South Wales names for it are ‘Grey Box’ and ‘Silky Gum’.

1891 Ardrossan Herald 30 Oct. 2 The little Silky Willow, Salix fusca, commands attention from the peculiarity of its growth.

1848 A. Gray Man. Bot. Northern U.S. 168 (heading) Silky cornel.

1891 J. M. Coulter Bot. W. Texas i. 150 Silky cornel... Common in the Atlantic States and extending into eastern and northern Texas.

1957 W. C. Grimm Bk. Shrubs 351 The Silky Dogwood is sometimes called the Silky Cornel, Swamp Dogwood, or Kinnikinnick.

1900 B. B. Smyth Plants & Flowers Kansas ii. 25 It is the Silky Dogwood; grows in clumps; and had blue berries when ripe, in broad cymose clusters.

1866 J. Lindley & T. Moore Treasury Bot. II. 789/2 Silky, or Silkbark Oak, Grevillea robusta.

1888 F. M. Bailey Queensland Woods 104 S[tenocarpus] salignus... One of the woods called Silky Oak.

1889 J. H. Maiden Useful Native Plants Austral. 581 Orites excelsa,..‘Red Ash’. ‘Silky Oak’.

1965 Austral. Encycl. II. 180/2 The northern silky oak, Cardwellia sublimis of Queensland, is also sometimes known as bull oak.