noil

N1O1I1L1
/nɔɪl/

noun

A short fibre left over from combing wool or spinning silk during the preparation of textile yarns.

“The silk noil was slightly nubby with random flecks in an off-white colour.”

OriginMiddle English *noyel ← Old French noiel ← Early Medieval Latin nōdellus →
RareScrabble 4
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Meanings

nounnoil (countable and uncountable, plural noils)

plural noils

  1. countableuncountableA short fibre left over from combing wool or spinning silk during the preparation of textile yarns.

    The silk noil was slightly nubby with random flecks in an off-white colour.

    1 more example

    Fcy. goods, cassimeres, cloakings, piece dyes, noils, mohair, and raw stock wool and cotton.

    1908, Fibre & Fabric, page 21

Origin

  1. Late Latinnucālis“nut-like”
  2. Early Medieval Latinnōdellus“buckle”
  3. Old Frenchnoiel
  4. Middle English*noyel
  5. Englishnoil

Inherited from Middle English *noyel, from Old French noiel, variant of noel, from either Early Medieval Latin nōdellus (“buckle”, diminutive of nōdus "knot") or Late Latin nucālis (“nut-like”, derivative of nux "nut"). Doublet of newel and noyau.

More words from Middle English, Old French, Early Medieval Latin

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Czech výčesek
  • výčesekshort fibre
German Kämmling
  • Kämmlingshort fibre

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with noil

oilsoilcoilfoilboilboylespoilHoylerecoiltoilbroilvoilefoylemoelroildespoilmoilembroilaboilassoilCape Broylechoildisembroildroil
All rhymes →

Anagrams

lionOlinloinNoliInloIlon
Cite this entry
APA

noil. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/noil

MLA

“noil.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/noil. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “noil,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/noil.

Source: noil on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.