Sericin
/ˈsɛr.ɪ.sɪn/noun
A sticky protein found in silk that binds the fibers together.
Did you know?Sericin was named from Latin sericum, meaning “silk,” ultimately borrowed from Greek sērikón, a word tied to the ancient Silk Road world of the Seres.
Etymological Timeline
Modern English
English
sericin
“A proteinaceous substance that coats silk fibers.”
19th Century
New Latin
sericum-derived sericin
“A scientific term coined for the silk gum or coating.”
Classical Latin
Latin
sericum
“Silk.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
sērikón
“Silk; silk cloth, associated with the Seres.”
Late Classical Antiquity
Greek/Latin
Seres
“A people of the far East, famed as the source of silk.”