Satin is a smooth, shiny fabric used for evening dresses, ribbons and pillowcases. Sateen, or cotton sateen, is a different fabric: it's made of cotton and has a soft sheen. Satin is usually silk or synthetic and much shinier.
satin: will you get the meaning right?
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a satin + dress/ribbon/pillowcase; made of + satin; cotton sateen + sheets; a satin finish (paint)
- She wore a dark green satin dress to the company's New Year party.
- My hairdresser recommended a satin pillowcase because, she said, it's gentler on curly hair.
- The theatre's old curtains were made of heavy red satin and looked beautiful under the lights.
What changed
First versionThe bride wore a long white atlas dress.
RevisionThe bride wore a long white satin dress.
In some languages this shiny fabric has a name like atlas, which leads to atlas dress. But in English an atlas is only a book of maps. A dress made of this fabric is a satin dress.
In a paint shop, satin isn't a fabric but a level of shine, roughly semi-matt: this paint is shinier than matt but less shiny than gloss. We painted the kitchen door in a satin finish.
Your turn
I wrapped her present in white paper and tied it with a shiny red ___ ribbon.
Show the answer
satin — The ribbon is shiny, so it's a satin ribbon. An atlas is a book of maps, and a native speaker simply won't understand atlas ribbon.
Describe a smart item made of satin that you wore to a celebration or saw someone wear. Say what it was and what the occasion was.
At my cousin's wedding, I wore a navy satin shirt that I had bought especially for the day.
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