merino

noun

me·​ri·​no mə-ˈrē-(ˌ)nō How to pronounce merino (audio)
plural merinos
1
: any of a breed of fine-wooled white sheep originating in Spain and producing a heavy fleece of exceptional quality
2
: a soft wool or wool and cotton clothing fabric resembling cashmere
3
: a fine wool and cotton yarn used for hosiery and knitwear
merino adjective

Examples of merino in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Everything from merino sweaters ($118) to quarter-zips ($228) as well as a number of styles in Gap’s signature CashSoft texture—its best-selling cashmere-alternative fabric—is ready to shop. — Bianca Kratky, Glamour, 23 Oct. 2026 The knits are made from all natural fibers — pure new wool, supersoft lambswool, merino and alpaca. — Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 23 Oct. 2026 Prices range from $118 for a merino turtleneck to $368 for outerwear, a little higher in price range than the first, with most of the denim landing around $120. — Angela Tafoya, Vogue, 20 Oct. 2026 Among the various materials that Bentley can use to trim the interior are a new merino wool fabric and a wood finish that’s made from up to 1,000 walnut offcuts glued together, then sliced up to use as a veneer. — Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 23 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for merino

Word History

Etymology

Spanish

First Known Use

1804, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of merino was in 1804

Rhymes for merino

See All Rhymes for merino

Browse Nearby Words

meringuer
merino
Merion bluegrass
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Merino.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/merino. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

merino

noun
me·​ri·​no mə-ˈrē-nō How to pronounce merino (audio)
plural merinos
1
: any of a breed of sheep that produce a heavy fleece of fine white wool
2
: a fine soft wool or wool and cotton fabric resembling cashmere
3
: a fine wool and cotton yarn
merino adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on merino

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about merino

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of milieu

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All