hit the silk

verb

To parachute (use a parachute).

“With the engine on fire he had to punch out and hit the silk.”

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Meanings

verbhit the silk (third-person singular simple present hits the silk, present participle hitting the silk, simple past and past participle hit the silk)

present singular third person hits the silk · participle present hitting the silk

  1. slangTo parachute (use a parachute).

    With the engine on fire he had to punch out and hit the silk.

Origin

From when parachutes were still made of silk.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

hit the silk. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hit%20the%20silk

MLA

“hit the silk.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hit%20the%20silk. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “hit the silk,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hit%20the%20silk.

Source: hit the silk on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.