serge
a twilled woolen fabric:
His serge suit was shiny from many years of wear.Not to be confused with:surge – a rolling swell of water:
The huge surge of the sea frightened us.; a rush of current in a circuit:
I need a surge protector for my computer.; any sudden or abrupt strong increase
Abused, Confused, & Misused Words by Mary Embree Copyright © 2007, 2013 by Mary Embree
serge 1
(sûrj)n. A twilled cloth of worsted or worsted and wool, often used for suits.
[Middle English sarge, from Old French, from Vulgar Latin *sārica, from Latin sērica (vestis), silken (clothing), feminine of sēricus, silken, from Greek sērikos, of the Seres, silken, from Sēres, a people of eastern Asia, perhaps China.]
serge 2
(sûrj)tr.v. serged,
serg·ing,
serg·es To overcast (the raw edges of a fabric) to prevent unraveling.
[Back formation from
serging,
type of overcast stitch, from
serge.]
serg′er n.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
serge
(sɜːdʒ) n1. (Textiles) a twill-weave woollen or worsted fabric used for clothing
2. (Textiles) a similar twilled cotton, silk, or rayon fabric
[C14: from Old French sarge, from Vulgar Latin sārica (unattested), from Latin sēricum, from Greek sērikon silk, from sērikos silken, from sēr silkworm]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
serge1
(sɜrdʒ)
n. any of various twill-weave fabrics with the characteristic diagonal wale, esp. a smoothly finished worsted fabric used for suits.
[1350–1400; earlier, Middle English sarge < Old French sarge (French serge) < Vulgar Latin *sārica, for Latin sērica (lāna) Chinese (wool), i.e., silk; see seric-]
serge2
(sɜrdʒ)
v.t. serged, serg•ing. to overcast (unfinished seams or edges, as in a fabric or rug), esp. by machine, in order to prevent fraying.
serg′er, n.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
Serge
of herons. See sedge.Dictionary of Collective Nouns and Group Terms. Copyright 2008 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.