Pronounced: sil-VIK-uh-luhs, adj
Notes: I didn’t know the meaning, but I could have guessed it
Yesterday’s word
The word zibeline is “a soft lustrous wool fabric with mohair, alpaca, or camel’s hair”
First usage
Our word came into English in the late 1500s
Background / Comments
I wasn’t sure what “mohair” was; it turns out that it is fabric made from Angora goats. So, then, what is “Angora wool”? “Angora wool” is fabric made from Angora rabbits. Our word came into English from Middle French, which came from Old Italian, which came from a Slavic word for the sable (a small mammal related to the weasel). Originally, our word referred to this animal (or its fur). Over time, it became used for a soft, smooth, slightly furry material woven from a mixture of animal hairs — well-suited to women’s suits or coats.
Richard's Vocabulary Word-of-the-Day 