lin⋅en
[lin-uh
n] 
| 1. | fabric woven from flax yarns. |
| 2. | Often, linens. bedding, tablecloths, shirts, etc., made of linen cloth or a more common substitute, as cotton. |
| 3. | yarn made of flax fiber. |
| 4. | thread made of flax yarns. |
| 5. | made of linen: a linen jacket. |
| 6. | wash one's dirty linen in public, to discuss in public one's private scandals, disagreements, or difficulties. |
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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| lin·en (lĭn'ən) n.
[Middle English, from Old English līnen, made of flax, from Germanic *līnin-, from *līnam, flax, probably from Latin līnum; see l  no- in Indo-European roots.] |
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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. 2. Resembling linen cloth; white; pale.Linen
Lin"en\, n. [Prop. an adj. from OE. lin flax, AS. l[=i]n flax, whence l[=i]nen made of flax; akin to OS., Icel., & MHG. l[=i]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. "In linen white as milk." --Robert of Brunne. 2. Underclothing, esp. the shirt, as being, in former times, chiefly made of linen. 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.Cite This Source
linen
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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.
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linen
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