silk cocoon

Caterpillar's fiber home

A silk cocoon is the protective casing spun by a silkworm larva before it transforms into a moth.

The cocoon consists of a single continuous thread of raw silk, sometimes over a mile long, which is harvested for textile production.

Figuratively, any snug, insulating enclosure: She wrapped herself in blankets like a silk cocoon.

Related

fiberPlant-based digestive aid
mulberry leafSericulture's essential fodder
natural fiberMaterial from living sources
softYielding to touch
chrysalisPupal casing for metamorphosis

pupa · metamorphosis · filament · spin · bivoltine · shell · spinneret · smooth · thread · stifling · degumming · delicate · textile · moth · weaving · luxury fabric · luxury · lustrous

Categories

insect productsbeeswax, honey, propolis, royal jelly, shellac
textile fibersraw cotton, raw wool, fleece, flax, hemp
pupaepupa, chrysalis
silk typesshantung
insect homesanthill, ant hill, ant mound, beehive, hive
spider websspider web, spiderweb, cobweb, cobwebs, funnel web

Opposites

metamorphic stage

silk cocoonimago

Insect's final form

silkworm · larva · caterpillar · silk moth

protective enclosure

silk cocoonopen air

Unenclosed outdoor space

shell-less · unwrapped

fiber origin and production

silk cocooncotton boll

Plant's fiber-filled fruit

synthetic fiber · polyester · nylon · raw cotton · spider's web

Family

Familiarity: Top 50,000
Profile: Known to kids · Used worldwide · Timeless · Concrete · Everyday, not technical · Rated G