Dare2Wow Textile Glossary was developed with the aim to create a better communication between textile professionals and those who are just starting to learn about the industry, the textile production and exploitation.
There are so many terms involved in the textile industry, particularly because of the age of the industry (at least 3,000 years) and the progress involved in the evolution of fabrics. The present work does not intend to include all of them but just a small part to allow clarifying meaning.
The terms we have selected are commonly used and even though familiar to everyone, their specific description is often unclear. We have used several sources to create this collection like traditional textile dictionaries and textbooks, as well as the documents prepared by all organisation as part of their work on the subject. Based on all of the above, a rough draft was created and distributed among all partners in order to incorporate translations of these terms in all partnering languages that are: Bulgarian, Greek, English, Italian, Latvian and Spanish.
The intention of this document is to allow the reader to identify terms used in the traditional textile industry, and understand their meaning. Illustrations are used to help show some of the described terms.
English | Spanish / Galician | Latvian | Italian | Greek | Bulgarian |
Assembly line Mechanical system in a factory whereby an article is conveyed through sites at which successive operations are performed on it.
| Cadena de montaje / Cadea de montaxe | Montāžas līnija
| Catena di montaggio | Γραμμή παραγωγής .
| Поточна линия |
Axle A rod around which a wheel moves or rotates.
| Eje / Eixo | Ass
| Semiasse | Άξονας | Ос |
Bark Tough protective covering of the woody stems and roots of trees and other woody plants;
| Corteza / Cortiza, Casca | Miza
| Corteccia | 1.φλοιός 2. γαβγίσμα
|
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Block printing The process of dye being pressed onto a fabric from a carved material: wood, copper but also rubber, etc. | Estampado con molde / Estampado con molde | Bloku druka
| Stampa con blocco | Εκτύπωση μπλοκ
| Блоково принтиране |
Braiding Machine or hand method of interlacing three or more yarns or cloth strips in such a way that they cross one another and are laid together in diagonal formation, forming a narrow strip of flat or tubular fabric. | Trenzado | Afrikāņu bizītes
| Intrecciare | Πλεξούδα
| Заплитане на плитки |
Broadcloth
| Tela de lana tupida / Tea de lá tupida | Smalka melna vadmala
| Tessuto Pettinato a doppia altezza | Λεπτό μάλλινο ύφασμα
| Сукно |
Digital printing The process of printing using a digital printer | Impresión digital / Impresión dixital | Digitālā druka | Stampa digitale | Ψηφιακή εκτύπωση | Дигитален печат / принтиране |
Drywall A wide flat board used to cover walls or partitions; made from plaster or wood pulp or other materials and used primarily to form the interior walls of houses | Pladur | Reģipsis/finieris
| Cartongesso | Γυψοσανίδα
| Гипсо-картон |
Dye v. The process of coloring with dye. | Teñir / Tinxir, Tinguir | Krāsošana | Tingere | Βάφω
| Боядисване |
Dye n. A usually soluble substance for staining or coloring e.g. fabrics or hair. | Tinte / Tinguidura | Krāsviela | Tintura | Βαφή | Боя |
Embossing Embellishing with a raised pattern created by pressure or embroidery. | Realce | Reljefs | Timbratura a secco | Ανάγλυφο
| Щамповане |
Embroidery
| Bordado | Izšūšana | Ricamo | Κέντημα
| Бродерия |
Fabric
| Tela, Tejido / Tea, Tecido | Audums | Tessuto | ύφασμα | Плат |
Fade
| Desteñir / Destinxir, Destinguir | Izbalināt | Stingere/ Scoloritura | 1. Ξεθώριασμα 2. Ξεθωριάζω | Избледняване |
Fez A felt cap (usually red) for a man; shaped like a flat-topped cone with a tassel that hangs from the crown. | Fez | Feska | Fez | Φέσι | Фес |
Flax
| Lino / Liño | Lini | Lino | Λινάρι | Лен |
Fleece
| Lana, Vellón / Lá, Vélaro | Aitas vilna | Vello | Μαλλί | Руно |
Guild A formal association of people with similar interests. | Gremio | Ģilde | Associazione | Συντεχνία | Гилдия |
Harvest
| Cosecha / Colleita | Ražas novākšana | Raccolto | Συγκομιδή | Жътва |
Hemp
| Cáñamo / Cánabo | Kaņepes | Canapa | Κάναβη | Коноп |
Homespun
| Hecho en casa / Feito na casa | Pašausta drāna | Fatto in casa col telaio a mano | Χειροποίητο υφαντό | Домашенплат |
Huckaback A strong linen or cotton fabric with a rough surface, used for toweling. | Lienzo / Lenzo | Drellis | Tela operata | Ύφασμα πετσετών | Хавлиен плат |
Knitwear Knitted clothing | Prendas de punto | Trikotāža | Fatto a maglia | Πλεκτά | Tрикотаж |
Lacemaker A person making delicate decorative fabric woven in an open web of symmetric patterns. | Encajera / Palilleira | Audējs/ mežģīņu knipelētājs | Merlettaia | Πλέκτης δαντέλας | Бродерачка; плетачка на бродерия |
Lumber The wood of trees cut and prepared for use as building material. | Madera / Madeira | Būvkoki / baļķi | Legname | Ξυλεία | Дървен материал |
Loom A textile machine for weaving yarn into a textile | Telar / Tear | Stelles | Telaio | Αργαλειός | Стан |
Mordant
| Mordiente / Mordente | Kodinātājs | Mordente | 1. Στυπτικό 2. Δηκτικός | Байц, фиксатор; саркастичен, язвителен |
Pouch
| Faltriquera / Faldriqueira | Kabata | Marsupio | Σακούλα | Торбичка |
Roller printing The process of transfer of text, images or designs to paper or fabric through a cylinder that rotates around a central axis. | Impresión de rodillos | Veltņdruka | Stampa a rullo | Εκτύπωση κυλίνδρου | Валяков печат |
Ruff
| Gola, Gorguera / Gorgueira | Kruzulis | Collo | 1. Περιλαίμιο 2. Τέχνασμα
| Грива, къдричка; яка от косми или много къдри от времето на Елизабет и Якобинството |
Seamstress A woman who sews, especially one who earns her living by sewing | Costurera / Costureira | Šuvēja | Cucitrice | Μοδίστρα, ράφτρα | Шивачка |
Seepage The slow escape of a liquid or gas through porous material or small holes | Filtración | Filtrācija | Infiltrazione | Διαρροή | Просмукване |
Sew Join, fasten or repair (something) by making stitches with a needle and thread or a sewing machine | Coser | Šūt | Cucire | Ράβω | Шия |
Shuttle
| Lanzadera / Lanzadeira | Atspole | Spoletta | Σαϊτα | Совалка |
Silk
| Seda | Zīds | Seta | Μετάξι | Коприна |
Silk screen printing The process of transferring text, patterns and designs on silk using screen molds | Serigrafía | Sietspiede | Serigrafia | Μεταξοτυπία | Ситопечат върху коприна |
Spin
| Hilar / Fiar | Griešanās | Filare, far girare | Γνέθω | Въртене; предене; (гл.) преда, плета; въртя |
Steam engine An engine that uses the expansion or rapid condensation of steam to generate power. | Máquina de vapor | Tvaika dzinējs | Motore a vapore | Ατμομηχανή | Парен двигател |
Stencil A sheet of material (metal, plastic, cardboard, waxed, paper, silk, etc.), that has been perforated with a pattern (printing or a design); ink or paint can pass through the perforations to create the printed pattern on the surface below | Estarcido, Plantilla / Padrón | Trafarets | Stencil | Ειδικό διάτρητο φύλλο | Шаблон |
Tan Convert animal skin into leather by soaking in a liquid containing tannic acid, or by the use of other chemicals. | Curtir | Iedegums | Tannino | Ηλιοκαμμένος | Tен |
Thread A fine cord of twisted fibers (of cotton, silk, wool or synthetic, etc), used in sewing and weaving (usually thinner than yarn) | Hilo / Fío | Diegs | Filo | Κλωστή | Нишка |
Warp A twist or distortion in the shape or form of something; (in weaving) The threads on a loom over and under which other threads (the weft) are passed to make a cloth | Urdimbre / Urdido, urda | Savīt | Ordire/ordito | Διαστροφή / στημόνι | Основа (при изработката на плат – нишките, опънати за основа на плата) |
Weave The action of creating a piece of cloth by interlacing strands of fabric, such a wool or cotton | Tejer / Tecer | Aust | Tessere | Ύφανση | Тъка (гл) |
Weft (in weaving) The crosswise threads on a loom over and under which other threads (the warp) are passed to make a cloth | Trama | Audi | Trama | Υφάδι | Bътък |
Wicker
| Mimbre / Vimbio | Pīts | Vimine | 1. Λυγαριά 2. Ψάθινο καλάθι | Плетена ракита / Изделие от плетена ракита |
Wool
| Lana / Lá | Vilna | Lana | Μαλλί | Вълна |
Yarn A fine cord of twisted fibers (of cotton, silk, wool or synthetic, etc), used in sewing and weaving (yarn is usually thicker than thread) | Hilo / Fío | Dzija | Filo | Νήμα | Прежда |
English | Spanish / Galician | Latvian | Italian | Greek | Bulgarian |
Distaff or rock The staff on which wool or flax is wound before spinning | Rueca / Roca | Ratiņš vai akmens | Rocca | ρόκα | Хурка |
Flax breaker A machine that separates flax seeds from their outer cover; breaking into pieces the flax seed | Banco de desgranar / Tascón e maza | Linu griezējs
| Tavolo per sgranare il lino | καθαριστής λιναριού | Машина за счупване на лененото семе |
Handful A quantity that can be held in the hand; small number or small amount of something. | Manojo / Mañizo | Sauja | Manciata | Χούφτα | Шепа |
Heckle or comb
| Vestir el lino / Anciñar | Sukāt vai ķemmēt | Pettinare il lino | Χτενίζω | Гребен за чепкане на нишките (лен, памук, вълна) |
Heckling comb A beating comb used on natural fibres mainly to separate flax fibres | peine o rastrillo / rastro, restrelo | Ķemme | Pettinatura | Χτένα | Чепкало |
Ripple
| Ripo | Virma / Viļņojums | Pettine di ferro | Κυματισμός | Гребен; вълничка |
Scutching sword A knife or hammer usually used to dress flax by breaking, beating and hackling. | Espadilla / Espadela | Kulstīšanas zobens | Scotola | Σπαθί | Очукващ нож |
Seed A mature fertilized plant ovule consisting of an embryo and its food source and having a protective coat or testa. | Semilla / Semente | Sēkla | Seme | Σπόρος | Семе |
Spindle A narrow wooden rod usually used when spinning wool; a stick or a pin used to twist the yarn in spinning. | Huso / Fuso | Vārpsta | Fuso | Άτρακτος | Вретено |
Spinning wheel A small domestic spinning machine with a single spindle that is driven by hand or foot. | Rueca / Roda de fiar | Ratiņš | Filatoio a mano | Ανέμη | Въртящо се колело |
Spool
| Carrete, Bobina / Bobina, Nobelo | Spole | Bobina/rocchetto | πηνίο | Макара |
Stalk A long, vertical stem or connecting part of a plant; a slender or elongated structure that supports a plant or fungus or a plant part or plant organ. | Tallo / Talo | Stiebrs | Stelo | Κοτσάνι | Стъбло |
Thresh
| trillar, desgranar / mallar | Kult | Battere | Αλωνίζω | Бия |
Uproot
| arrancar / arrigar | Iznīdēt | Sdradicare | Εκριζώνω | Изкоренявам |
Water retting Place grains or seeds (flax, hemp or jute) in liquid so as to promote loosening of the fibres from the woody tissue | enriar / enlagar | Mērcēšana ūdenī | Macerare in acqua | Διαβροχή | Накисване във вода |
Winder
| Devanadera, bobinadora / Sarillo
| Vērpējs | Avvolgitrice | Αυτός που κουρδίζει | Хаспел |