onionskins
Thin vegetable peels
Onionskins are thin, translucent sheets of paper, named for their resemblance to the papery outer layers of an onion.
The paper was once standard for carbon copies and airmail correspondence, where light weight reduced postage costs.
By extension, onionskin can describe anything similarly thin and semi-transparent: The old document had deteriorated to onionskins.
Permitting diffused light passage
- gossamerFilmy, delicate material
- sheerAbsolute; also diaphanous
- diaphanousDelicately translucent
- filmyThin and translucent
gauzy · papery · tissue-thin · see-through · delicate · fine · wispy · ethereal
Identical reproduction
- duplicatesIdentical reproductions
- correspondenceExchanged written communication
- lettersAlphabetic characters or mail
- manuscriptsHandwritten or typed originals
Easily broken or damaged
- brittleLiable to shatter
- delicateEasily broken or harmed
- crinklyHaving small irregular folds
- tearableAble to be ripped
crumbling · flaking · peeling · shedding · friable · breakable · tender · vulnerable
translucent
Permitting diffused light passage
- gossamerFilmy, delicate material
- sheerAbsolute; also diaphanous
- diaphanousDelicately translucent
filmy · gauzy · papery · tissue-thin · see-through · delicate · fine · wispy · ethereal · membrane
carbon-copy
Identical reproduction
- duplicatesIdentical reproductions
- correspondenceExchanged written communication
- lettersAlphabetic characters or mail
manuscripts · airmail · documents · copies · records
fragile
Easily broken or damaged
tearable · crumbling · flaking · peeling · shedding · friable · breakable · tender · vulnerable · frail
peeling
Coming off in strips
layers · husk · revealing · unveiling · membrane · outer · wrapper · covering · sheath · casing
shallot
Mild culinary bulb
allium · aromatic · sauté · caramelized · pungent · bulb · vegetable · savory · umami
onionskinscardstock
Rigid paper material
cardboard · heavyweight paper · posterboard · cover stock · card