Tiny fibers and fluff from fabric or clothing that accumulate, especially in dryer vents.
From Old English 'linnet,' referring to linen cloth, which evolved to mean the fibers shed from linen. The word shifted to mean any small fibers or fluff.
Lint seems useless, but it's actually a fire hazard—clogged dryer vents cause thousands of house fires yearly, making this microscopic nuisance one of the sneakiest household dangers lurking in every laundry room.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.