swanskinn.
/ˈswɒnskɪn/ 1. The skin of a swan (with the feathers on); transferred a soft or delicate skin.
ΘΚΠ
society > occupation and work > materials > raw material > skin or hide > skin with hair attached or fur > [noun] > of bird > specific
swanskin1612
ostrich1939
1612 [see sense 3a].
1842 Penny Cycl. XXIII. 375/2 Cygnus Buccinator,..to which the bulk of the swan-skins imported by the Hudson's Bay Company belong.
1846 J. E. Taylor Six Swans in Fairy Ring 66 The swans flew to her,..their swans' skins fell off, and her brothers stood before her in their natural form.
2. A fine thick kind of flannel; also, a woollen blanketing used by printers and engravers as an elastic impression-surface.
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the world > textiles and clothing > textiles > textile fabric or an article of textile fabric > textile fabric > textile fabric made from specific material > made from wool > [noun] > with open or loose texture > flannel > types of > thick
swanskin1694
molton1786
molleton1794
society > leisure > the arts > visual arts > printmaking > [noun] > woollen blanketing
swanskin flannel?1790
swanskin1863
1694 P. A. Motteux tr. F. Rabelais 5th Bk. Wks. Pantagr. Prognost. 246 Furr'd Gowns, Swans-Skins, and other warm Cloths.
1706 Phillips's New World of Words (new ed.) Swans-skin, a sort of fine Flannel, so call'd on account of its extraordinary Whiteness.
1844 Ladies' Hand-bk. Haberdashery 31 Swanskin is..especially employed by the laundress, as a covering for her tables.
1863 Alpine Jrnl. Mar. 27 Very stout and dense scarlet blanketing (of the description known to the trade as swan~skin).
3.
a. attributive. Made or consisting of swanskin. swanskin flannel = sense 2.
ΘΚΠ
the world > textiles and clothing > textiles > textile fabric or an article of textile fabric > textile fabric > textile fabric made from specific material > made from wool > [adjective] > flannel
flannel1585
swanskin1612
society > leisure > the arts > visual arts > printmaking > [noun] > woollen blanketing
swanskin flannel?1790
swanskin1863
1612 B. Jonson Alchemist iii. iii. sig. G3 I' the Swan-skin Couerlid, and cambrick Sheetes. View more context for this quotation
1740 S. Richardson Pamela I. xx. 50 I bought two Flannel Under-coats, not so good as my Swan-skin and fine Linen ones.
?1790 J. Imison Curious & Misc. Articles (new ed.) 49 in School of Arts (ed. 2) Directions for laying the Mezzotinto Ground... Laying your plate with a piece of swanskin-flannel under it, upon your table.
1903 W. Churchill Crossing i. vi He wore jauntily a swanskin three-cornered hat.
b. figurative. Soft and delicate, smooth like swanskin. (Only found in the work of E. Sitwell.)
ΘΚΠ
the world > matter > constitution of matter > softness > types of softness > [adjective] > soft and smooth
softc1275
velvet1592
Serian1605
silk-like1672
velvet-like1677
velvety1752
silky1757
swanskin1925
the world > space > shape > flatness or levelness > smoothness > [adjective] > like specific substance or material
silken1513
marble1558
ivorya1586
velvet1592
satin1605
silka1616
velvet-like1677
satin-like1680
satined1693
satiny1693
velvety1752
marbly1814
satin-smooth1838
ivorine1888
ivoried1890
swanskin1925
1925 E. Sitwell Troy Park 38 Once, plumaged like the sea, his swanskin head Had wintry white quills.
1936 E. Sitwell Victoria of Eng. xvi. 197 Wild violets beneath their swan-skin leaves.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1918; most recently modified version published online December 2020).
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n.1612