General Textile Trade Terms/Glossary
General Textile Trade
Terms/Glossary with Initial-A
Absorbency The ability of a fabric to take in moisture. Absorbency is a very
important property, which effects many other characteristics such as skin
comfort, static build-up, shrinkage, stain removal, water repellency, and
wrinkle recovery.
Acetate
A manufactured fiber formed by compound of cellulose, refined from cotton
linters and/or wood pulp, and acedic acid that has been extruded through a
spinneret and then hardened
Acrylic
A manufactured fiber derived from polyacrylonitrile. Its major properties
include a soft, wool-like hand, machine washable and dryable, excellent
color retention. Solution-dyed versions have excellent resistance to
sunlight and chlorine degradation.
Alpaca
A natural hair fiber obtained from the Alpaca sheep, a domesticated member
of the llama family. The fiber is most commonly used in fabrics made into
dresses, suits, coats, and sweaters.
Angora
The hair of Angora rabbit.
Anisotropic
A material which has different physical properties in different directions.
Anti-dumping duty
An extra duty imposed on an imported product by an importing country (or
group of countries, as in the case of the EU) to compensate for the dumping
of goods by a foreign supplier.
AOX
Adsorbable organic halogens.
APEO
Alkylphenolethoxilate.
Appliqué
A pattern constructed by applying one fabric on top of another.
Aramid
The generic name for a special group of synthetic fibres (aromatic
polyamide) having high strength; examples are "Kevlar" and "Twaron".
Arran
A traditional style of fishermen's cable-knit sweaters.
Artificial fibres
- Please see cellulosic fibres.
ASEAN
Association of South East Asian Nations-Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia,
Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
Asphalt retention (geotextiles)
A measure of the amount of asphalt cement that can be held within the pores
of a paving geotextile.
Astrakhan
A thick woven or knitted cloth with a surface of loops or curls which
imitates the coat of an Astrakhan lamb.
Atactic
A type of polymer molecule in which groups of atoms are arranged randomly
above and below the backbone chain of atoms, when the latter are arranged
all in one plane.
ATC
The Agreement on Textiles and Clothing, which embodied the results of the
negotiations on textiles and clothing conducted under the Uruguay Round of
multilateral trade talks. The ATC provides for the phasing out of MFA quotas
between January 1995 and December 2004.
General Textile Trade
Terms/Glossary with Initial-B
Barré
An imperfection, characterized by a ridge or mark running in the crosswise
or lengthwise directions of the fabric. BarrŽs can be caused by tension
variations in the knitting process, poor quality yarns, problems during the
finishing process.
Basket Weave
A variation of the plain weave construction, formed by treating two or more
warp yarns and/or two or more filling yarns as one unit in the weaving
process.
Batiste
A medium-weight, plain weave fabric, usually made of cotton or cotton
blends. End-uses include blouses and dresses.
Ballotini
Small glass beads which are normally used in reflective paints but which
can also be incorporated into fabrics.
Bandana
Handkerchief designs in simple colour and white stylised patterns,
including spots.
Barrier (geotextiles)
a material which prevents fluid movement across the plane of a geotextile.
A nonwoven geotextile saturated with an impermeable substance (eg bentonite
clay) can act as a barrier material.
Bast fibre
Strong, soft, woody fibers, such as flax, jute, hemp, and ramie, which are
obtained from the inner bark in the stems of certain plants.
Batik
A traditional dyeing process in which portions of cloth are coated with wax
and therefore resist the dye. Batik fabrics are characterised by a streaky
or mottled appearance.
Batt
Single or multiple sheets of fibre used in the production of nonwoven
fabric.
Bayadère
A fabric or design with horizontal plain or patterned stripes.
BCF
Bulked continuous filament(BCF) textured yarn used mainly in the
construction of carpets or upholstery.
Bedford cord
A cord cotton-like fabric with raised ridges in the lengthwise direction.
Belt-edge separation (tyres)
Separation of the plies of reinforcing fabric from the rubber matrix of a
tyre, at the edge of the belt of reinforcement.
Bias belted tyres
Tyres reinforced by layers of tyre cord fabric arranged alternately so that
the main load bearing yarns lie at an angle of less than 90° to the
plane in which the tyre rotates and yarns of adjacent layers cross each
other.
Bi-component fibres
Fibres spun from two different polymers. The most common types are made
from polymers which have different melting points and are used for thermal
bonding. Another variant is produced from polymers which have differing
solubilities. In this case one polymer may later be dissolved out to leave
ultra-fine filaments. An example is the production of suede-like fabrics.
This process is also used to create crimping, in order to provide bulk or
stretch.
Bicomponent yarn
A yarn having two different continuous filament components.
Bilaminate (fabric)
A fabric formed by bonding two separate fabrics together.
Binder
An adhesive material used to hold fibres together in a nonwoven structure.
Biocompatibility
Compatibility with living tissue or a living system by not being toxic or
injurious.
Birdseye
A fabric woven to produce a pattern of very small, uniform spots.
Bi-shrinkage yarn
A yarn containing two different types of filament, which have different
shrinkages.
Blinding (geotextiles)
A condition in which soil particles block openings on the surface of a
geotextile, thereby reducing the hydraulic conductivity of the geotextile.
Blend
A term applied to a yarn or a fabric that is made up of more than one
fiber. In blended yarns, two or more different types of staple fibers are
twisted or spun together to form the yarn. Examples of a typical blended
yarn or fabric is polyester/cotton.
BOD
Biological oxygen demand- A measure of pollution by oxygen-consuming
organic materials in an effluent stream.
Boiling
A process in which a yarn or garment made from staple fibre containing wool
or animal hair is left in boiling water so that the original fabric
construction is obscured by the felted surface.
Bonded fabric
A nonwoven fabric in which the fibres are held together by a bonding
material. This may be an adhesive or a bonding fibre with a low melting
point. Alternatively, the material may be held together by stitching.
Bonding agent
See binder.
Bouclé
A compound yarn comprising a twisted core with an effect-yarn wrapped
around it so as to produce loops on the surface.
Bouclette
A small bouclé effect.
Bourette
A silk noil fabric made from short fibre (silk waste) with a textured
surface.
Bowl
One of a pair of large rollers forming a nip.
Braided yarn
Intertwined yarn containing two or more strands.
Breaking extension
The percentage extension at maximum load.
Breaking strength (geotextiles)
The ultimate tensile strength of a geotextile per unit width.
Breathability
The ability of a fabric, coating or laminate to transfer water vapour from
one of its surfaces through the material to the other surface. See also
moisture vapour transmission rate (MVTR).
Brocade
Usually a jacquard woven fabric in which the figure is developed by
floating the warp threads, the weft threads, or both, and interlacing them
in a more or less irregular order.
Broadcloth
A plain weave tightly woven fabric, characterized by a slight ridge effect
in one direction, usually the filling. The most common broadcloth is made
from cotton or cotton/polyester blends.
Brocatelle
A heavy figured cloth in which the pattern is created by warp threads in a
satin weave.
Burlap
A loosely constructed, heavy weight, plain weave fabric used as a carpet
backing, and as inexpensive packaging for sacks of grain or rice. Also, as
fashion dictates, burlap may also appear as a drapery fabric.
Burn-out
A brocade-like pattern effect created on the fabric through the application
of a chemical, instead of color, during the burn-out printing process.
(Sulfuric acid, mixed into a colorless print paste, is the most common
chemical used.) Many simulated eyelet effects can be created using this
method. In these instances, the chemical destroys the fiber and creates a
hole in the fabric in a specific design, where the chemical comes in contact
with the fabric. The fabric is then over-printed with a simulated embroidery
stitch to create the eyelet effect. However, burn-out effects can also be
created on velvets made of blended fibers, in which the ground fabric is of
one fiber like a polyester, and the pile may be of a cellulosic fiber like
rayon or acetate. In this case, when the chemical is printed in a certain
pattern, it destroys the pile in those areas where the chemical comes in
contact with the fabric, but leave the ground fabric unharmed
General Textile Trade
Terms/Glossary with Initial-C
Cable
To twist together two or more folded yarns.
Calico
Tightly-woven cotton type fabric with an all-over print, usually a small
floral pattern on a contrasting background color. Common end-uses include
dresses, aprons, and quilts.
CAI
Compression strength after impact.
Calendered
The term is used to describe a fabric which has been passed through rollers
to smooth and flatten it or confer surface glaze.
Camel's hair
The hair of the camel or dromedary; also used as a broad description of
fawn colour.
Canvas
A plain weave usually made from cotton or linen.
Caprolactam
A chemical intermediate used in the manufacture of polyamide (nylon).
Carded
Description of a continuous web or sliver produced by carding.
Carding
The disentanglement, cleaning and intermixing of fibres to produce a
continuous web or sliver suitable for subsequent processing. This is
achieved by passing the fibres between moving pins, wires or teeth.
Cashmere
Hair with a mean diameter of 18.5 microns or less from the downy undercoat
of Asiatic or selectively bred feral goats.
Cavalry twill
A firm warp-faced cloth, woven to produce a steep twill effect.
Cellophane effect
An effect created in a fabric which gives it the iridescent appearance of
cellophane.
Cellulosic fibres
Fibres made or chemically derived from a naturally occurring cellulose raw
material.
Cellulosic filament
Filaments made or chemically derived from a naturally occurring cellulose
raw material.
Centinewton (cN)
A unit of force used to measure the strength of a textile yarn (see
tenacity).
Centipoise
A measure of viscosity, equal to 0.001 newton second per m2.
CFRP
Carbon fibre reinforced plastic.
Chafer fabric
A fabric coated with vulcanised rubber which is wrapped around the bead
section of a tyre before vulcanisation of the complete tyre. Its purpose is
to maintain an abrasion-resistant layer of rubber in contact with the wheel
on which the tyre is mounted.
Chainette
A tubular cord produced on a circular knitting machine.
Challis
A lightweight plain-weave fabric, made from cotton or wool, usually with a
printed design.
Chambray
A cotton shirting fabric woven with a coloured warp and white weft.
Changeant
See shot.
Cheesecloth
An open lightweight plain-weave fabric, usually made from carded cotton
yarns.
Chelate
A chemical compound whose molecules contain a closed ring of atoms, of
which one is a metal atom.
Chelating agent
A chemical compound which coordinates with a metal to form a chelate, and
which is often used to trap or remove heavy metal ions.
Chemical bonding
Part of a production route for making nonwovens; binders are applied to a
web which, when dried, bond the individual fibres to form a coherent sheet.
Chenille
A yarn consisting of a cut pile which may be one or more of a variety of
fibres helically positioned around axial threads that secure it. Gives a
thick, soft tufty silk or worsted velvet cord or yarn typically used in
embroidery and for trimmings.
Chiffon
A plain woven lightweight, extremely sheer, airy, and soft silk fabric,
containing highly twisted filament yarns. The fabric, used mainly in evening
dresses and scarves, can also be made from rayon and other manufactured
fibers.
Chiné
Textiles with a mottled pattern.
Chinoiserie
Fabric designs which are derived from or which are imitations of Chinese
motifs.
Chintz
A glazed, printed, plain-weave fabric, usually made of cotton.
CIF
Cost, insurance and freight.
Circular jersey
Fabric produced on circular knitting machines (see also weft knitting).
Ciré
It is a lightweight performance fabric with a shiny surface made from
synthetic fibres for use in outerwear.
Cloqué
Cloqué is a compound or double fabric with a figured blister effect,
produced by using yarns of different character or twist which respond in
different ways to finishing treatments.
Color fastness
A term used to describe a dyed fabric's ability to resist fading due to
washing, exposure to sunlight, and other environmental conditions.
Comforter
An over-covering on a bed that is made with a fabric shell filled with an
insulating material.
Commingled yarn
A yarn consisting of two or more individual yarns that have been combined,
usually by means of air jets.
Composite, composite material
A product formed by intimately combining two or more discrete physical
phases-usually a solid matrix, such as a resin, and a fibrous reinforcing
component.
Combing
The combing process is an additional step beyond carding. In this process
the fibers are arranged in a highly parallel form, and additional short
fibers are removed, producing high quality yarns with excellent strength,
fineness, and uniformity.
Conjugate yarns
See bicomponent yarns.
Continuous filament
See filament.
Continuous filament strand (glass)
A fibre bundle composed of many glass filaments.
Convertor
A person or a company which buys grey goods and sells them as finished
fabrics. A converter organizes and manages the process of finishing the
fabric to a buyers' specifications, particularly the bleaching, dyeing,
printing, etc.
Copolymer
A polymer in which there are two or more repeat units.
Cord
A term used to describe the way in which textile strands have been twisted,
such as in cabled or plied yarns.
Corduroy
A fabric, usually made of cotton, utilizing a cut-pile weave construction.
Extra sets of filling yarns are woven into the fabric to form ridges of yarn
on the surface. The ridges are built so that clear lines can be seen when
the pile is cut.
Core-spun yarn
A yarn consisting of an inner core yarn surrounded by staple fibres. A
corespun yarn combines the strength and/or elongation of the core thread and
the characteristics of the staple fibres which form the surface.
Core-twisted yarn
A yarn produced by combining one fibre or filament with another during a
twisting process.
Count
A measure of linear density (see decitex, denier).
Countervailing duty
An extra duty imposed on an imported product by an importing country (or
group of countries, as in the case of the EU) to compensate for subsidies
deemed to be illegal which are given to the manufacturer of the product in
the exporting country.
Courtelle
A brand name for acrylic fibre used by Acordis (formerly Courtaulds).
Cover factor (knitted fabrics)
(tightness factor) A number that indicates the extent to which the area of
a knitted fabric is covered by yarn. It is also an indication of the
relative looseness or tightness of the knitting.
Cover factor (woven fabrics)
A number that indicates the extent to which the area of a fabric is covered
by one set of threads. For any woven fabric, there are two cover factors: a
warp cover factor and a weft cover factor. Under the cotton system, the
cover factor is the ratio of the number of threads per inch to the square
root of the cotton yarn count.
Covered yarn
A yarn made by feeding one yarn through one or more revolving spindles
carrying the other (wrapping) yarn. Covered yarn may also be produced using
air-jet technology.
Coverstock
A permeable fabric used in hygiene products to cover and contain an
absorbent medium.
Covert
A warp-faced fabric, usually of a twill weave, with a characteristic
mottled appearance obtained by the use of a grandrelle (two-colour twisted
yarn) or mock grandrelle warp.
Crease-resist finish
A finish, usually applied to fabrics made from cotton or other cellulosic
fibres or their blends, which improves the crease recovery and smooth-drying
properties of a fabric. In the process used most commonly, the fabric is
impregnated with a solution of a reagent which penetrates the fibres and,
after drying and curing, cross-links the fibre structure under the influence
of a catalyst and heat. The crease-resistant effect is durable to washing
and to normal use.
Crêpe
A fabric characterised by a crinkled or puckered surface.
Crêpe de chine
A lightweight fabric, traditionally of silk, with a crinkly surface.
Crepe-back satin
A satin fabric in which highly twisted yarns are used in the filling
direction. The floating yarns are made with low twist and may be of either
high or low luster. If the crepe effect is the right side of the fabric, the
fabric is called satin-back crepe.
Crêpe yarn
A highly twisted yarn which may be used in the production of crêpe
fabrics.
Crêpon
A crêpe fabric which is more rugged than the usual crêpe with a
fluted or crinkled effect in the warp direction.
Crimp
The waviness of a fibre or filament.
Crimp contraction
The contraction in length of a previously textured yarn from the fully
extended state (ie where the filaments are substantially straightened),
owing to the formation of crimp in individual filaments under specified
conditions of crimp development.
Crimp stability
The ability of a textured yarn to resist the reduction of its crimp by
mechanical or thermal stress.
Crimped yarn
see textured yarn.
Crinoline
A lightweight, plain weave, stiffened fabric with a low yarn count (few
yarns to the inch in each direction).
Crocking
The rubbing-off of dye from a fabric. Crocking can be the result of lack of
penetration of the dyeing agent, the use of incorrect dyes or dyeing
procedures, or the lack of proper washing procedures and finishing
treatments after the dyeing process.
Cross-dyeing
The dyeing of a yarn or fabric containing a mixture of fibres, at least one
of which is coloured separately.
Cross-linking
The creation of chemical bonds between polymer molecules to form a
threedimensional polymeric network, for example in a fibre or pigment
binder.
Cupro
A type of cellulosic fibre obtained by the cuprammonium process.
Cuprammonium
A process of producing a type of regenerated rayon fiber. In this process,
the wood pulp or cotton liners are dissolved in an ammoniac copper oxide
solution. Bemberg rayon is a type of Cuprammonium rayon.
Curcuma
A fabric with a yellow colour similar to that produced by the curcuma
spice.
Cure
see curing.
Curing (chemical finishing)
A process carried out after the application of a finish to a textile fabric
in which appropriate conditions are used to effect a chemical reaction.
Usually, the fabric is heat treated for several minutes. However, it may be
subject to higher temperatures for short times (flash curing) or to low
temperatures for longer periods and at higher regain (moist curing).
Cut and sew
A system of manufacturing in which shaped pieces are cut from a layer of
fabric and stitched together to form garments. In the case of tubular
knitted fabric, the cloth is either cut down one side and opened up into a
flat fabric or left as a tube and cut to shape.
General Textile Trade
Terms/Glossary with Initial-D
Damask
A figured woven fabric in which the design is created by the use of satin
and sateen weaves.
Decitex
A unit of the tex system. A measure of linear density; the weight in grams
of 10,000 metres of yarn.
Decitex per filament (dpf)
The average decitex of each filament in a multifilament yarn.
Decortication (flax)
The process of removing woody outer layers from the stem of the flax plant
to yield flax fibres.
Délavé
A fabric with a washed effect.
Delocalisation
The geographical move of a production unit to a low cost country. (Note
that the term is increasingly being used to describe all forms of shifts in
production, including foreign sourcing and subcontracting.)
Denier
A measure of linear density; the weight in grams of 9,000 metres of yarn.
Denim
A 3/1 warp-faced twill fabric made from a yarn-dyed warp and an undyed weft
yarn. Traditionally, the warp yarn was indigo-dyed. Dent
The space between adjacent wires in a reed. Dents/inch
A unit of measure which denotes the number of reed wires and spaces between
adjacent wires in one inch.
Devoré
The production of a pattern on a fabric by printing it with a substance
that destroys one or more of the fibre types present.
Diolen
A high tenacity polyester filament yarn produced by Acordis.
Dip dyeing
A process in which a garment is dipped into a dye bath to achieve dye
take-up only in those areas immersed.
Dip-dyed yarns
Yarns produced by dip dyeing.
Distribution layer
A layer in a nonwoven hygiene product (such as a diaper) which distributes
fluid to a superabsorbent and/or fluff pulp material, where it is absorbed.
District check
Distinctive woollen checks originally made in different districts of
Scotland.
DMT
Dimethyl terephthalate-a chemical intermediate used in the manufacture of
polyester.
Dobby machine
A device fitted to a weaving machine which is capable of being programmed
to make dobby weaves by selectively raising some warp threads and
selectively depressing others.
Dobby weave
A fabric, often of a complex construction, woven on a dobby machine by
selectively raising some warp threads and selectively depressing others.
Doeskin
Generally applied to a type of fabric finish in which a low nap is brushed
in one direction to create a soft suede-like hand on the fabric surface.
End-uses include billiard table surfaces and men's' sportswear.
Dogstooth or houndstooth check
A small colour and weave effect using a 2/2 twill.
Donegal
A tweed yarn or fabric with different colour neps.
Dope
see spinning solution.
Dope-dyeing
see mass coloration.
Dotted Swiss
A lightweight, sheer cotton or cotton blend fabric with a small dot
flock-like pattern either printed on the surface of the fabric, or woven
into the fabric. End-uses for this fabric include blouses, dresses, baby
clothes, and curtains.
Doupion
A fabric made of irregular, raw, rough silk reeled from double cocoons, or
a man-made fibre substitute designed to imitate the silk equivalent.
Double Cloth
A fabric construction, in which two fabrics are woven on the loom at the
same time, one on top of the other. In the weaving process, the two layers
of woven fabric are held together using binder threads. The woven patterns
in each layer of fabric can be similar or completely different.
Double Knit
A weft knit fabric in which two layers of loops are formed that cannot be
separated. A double knit machine, which has two complete sets of needles, is
required for this construction.
Double Weave
A woven fabric construction made by interlacing two or more sets of warp
yarns with two or more sets of filling yarns. The most common double weave
fabrics are made using a total of either four or five sets of yarns.
Dowtherm
The brand name for a special liquid with a high boiling point. Godets and
heaters heated by Dowtherm vapour can be maintained at constant
temperatures.
Dpf
see decitex per filament.
Drafting
A process which reduces the linear density of an assembly of fibres.
Drafting typically occurs in the early stages of producing yarns from staple
fibres.
Drainage (geotextiles)
The ability of a geotextile to collect and transport fluids. Liquids or
gases are transmitted within the plane of the geotextile and this involves
flow across the geotextile. For example, geotextiles are used to capture and
transmit gases (eg methane) beneath the geomembrane in a landfill capping
system.
Draw spinning
A process for spinning partially or highly oriented filaments in which the
orientation is introduced after melt spinning but prior to the first
forwarding or collecting device.
Draw texturing
A process in which the drawing stage of synthetic yarn manufacture is
combined with the texturing process.
Draw twist
A process of orienting a filament yarn by drawing it and then twisting it
in integrated sequential stages.
Drill
A twill fabric, usually piece-dyed, similar in construction to a denim.
Dry spinning
In the dry spinning process, polymer is dissolved in a solvent before being
spun into warm air where the solvent evaporates. This leaves the fibrous
polymer ready for drawing.
Dry spun
A fibre or filament produced by the dry spinning process.
Dry-laid
Part of a production route for making nonwovens, in which a web of fibres
is produced either by carding or by blowing the fibres on to an endless
belt.
Drylaying
A process for forming a web or batt of staple fibres by carding and/or
airlaying.
Duck
A tightly woven, heavy, plain-weave, bottom-weight fabric with a hard,
durable finish. The fabric is usually made of cotton, and is widely used in
men's and women's slacks, and children's playclothes.
Dumping
The offer for sale of large quantities of goods in a foreign market at low
prices, usually in order to gain market share, while maintaining higher
prices in the home market. Dumping may be deemed to have taken place when a
product is sold in a foreign market at a price which is less than the cost
of production plus a normal profit margin.
Durability
The ability of a fabric to resist wear through continual use.
Durable press
A treatment applied to the fabric in the finishing process in which it
maintains a smooth attractive appearance, resists wrinkling, and retains
creases or pleats during laundering.
DWR (fabrics)
durable water repellent. DWR fabrics retain their ability to repel water
after washing, dry cleaning or heavy wear.
General
Textile Trade Terms/Glossary 
