French word

laine

Pronunciation

IPA/lɛn/

Meaning

  • feminine nounwool

Example

Ce pull est en laine.

This sweater is made of wool.

Illustration for laine (wool)

More examples

Il porte des chaussettes en laine quand il fait froid.

He wears wool socks when it's cold.

Core concept

Soft fleece becoming a continuous thread and a warm textile.

Common phrases

  • chaussettes en laine

    wool socks

  • manteau en laine

    wool coat

  • écharpe en laine

    wool scarf

Similar words

coton: A gentle-to-the-touch natural fiber produced by cotton plants.
polyester: A hard-wearing synthetic fiber made through chemical processing and resistant to creasing.
soie: A slender, shiny natural fiber produced by silkworms.
lin: A cool, moisture-absorbing natural fiber made from flax stems.

Definition in French

La laine désigne la fibre animale, surtout celle du mouton, et par extension le fil ou le tissu obtenu par le filage et le tricotage de cette fibre.

Word origin

Laine is an inherited French form that developed from Latin lana through the history of Old French.

Usage tips

  • French commonly uses en before laine to name a garment's material, as in un pull en laine.

Other meanings

  • yarnnoun

Opposites

  • matière synthétiquesynthetic materialnoun

Related words

  • laineuxwoollyadjective
  • lainagewool fabricnoun

Word lists with this word