Maharashtra HSC Textiles key terms

The smallest hair-like unit of textile material, usually much longer than it is wide, from which yarns and fabrics are made.

A short fibre measured in centimetres, such as cotton or wool, which must be twisted together with others to form a yarn.

A continuous fibre of indefinite length, either produced naturally as silk or manufactured by extrusion, that can be used directly as yarn.

A natural cellulosic staple fibre obtained from the seed hair of the cotton plant, valued for absorbency, comfort and good dyeability.

Any fibre composed mainly of cellulose polymer chains, including cotton, flax, jute, viscose and lyocell, which burns like paper and is attacked by acids.

A simple identification method in which a small fibre sample is held in a flame and its burning behaviour, odour and ash are observed to suggest fibre type.

A fibre identification technique that treats a sample with specific chemicals and notes whether it dissolves, helping distinguish fibre groups from one another.

The process of drawing out and twisting staple fibres into a continuous yarn, traditionally done on a spinning wheel or modern ring frame.

An opening and cleaning operation that separates and aligns fibres into a loose rope called a sliver before further spinning.

A preparation step that removes short fibres and impurities from carded cotton or wool, producing a smoother, stronger and more lustrous yarn.

The spiral arrangement of fibres around a yarn axis, usually expressed in turns per metre, which gives the yarn strength and cohesion.

A number expressing yarn fineness, either as mass per unit length (tex) or length per unit mass (cotton count), depending on the system used.

The mass of a fibre, yarn or thread per unit length, commonly stated in tex, where one tex equals one gram per thousand metres.

The set of parallel lengthwise yarns held under tension on a loom, through which the weft is interlaced to build a woven fabric.

The crosswise yarn inserted over and under the warp threads during weaving to form the body of a woven fabric.

The interlacing of two sets of yarns, warp and weft, at right angles on a loom to produce a woven fabric.

The simplest weave in which each warp yarn passes alternately over and under each weft yarn, giving a firm, reversible fabric such as muslin or canvas.

A weave with diagonal lines formed by passing the weft over one or more warp yarns and under two or more, producing a durable fabric like denim.

A weave that floats warp or weft yarns over several opposite yarns to create a smooth, lustrous surface with poor abrasion resistance at float points.

The firmly woven edge running along both sides of a woven fabric, formed where the weft turns back, which prevents fraying.

A fabric construction method in which loops of yarn are interlocked in rows, giving stretch and comfort, as seen in T-shirts and hosiery.

Knitting in which one continuous yarn forms successive loops across the fabric width, producing elastic fabrics such as single jersey.

Knitting in which many warp yarns are looped along the fabric length, creating fabrics that are less stretchy and less prone to laddering than weft knits.

A fabric made directly from fibres bonded by heat, chemicals or mechanical entanglement, without weaving or knitting, used in interfacing and disposable items.

A process of applying colour to fibres, yarns or fabrics so that the dye penetrates and bonds with them, giving reasonably fast colour.

A chemical such as alum or ferrous sulphate applied before or during dyeing to help the dye attach to the fibre and improve colour fastness.

The localised application of colour paste to a fabric in a design, as distinct from dyeing the whole piece uniformly.

A traditional Indian technique in which a carved wooden block is inked with dye paste and pressed by hand onto fabric in repeating patterns.

A printing method where colour paste is forced through open areas of a fine mesh screen onto the fabric, one screen being used for each colour.

Any treatment applied to fabric after dyeing or printing to improve appearance, handle or performance, such as calendering, mercerising or water repellency.

A treatment of cotton with strong caustic soda under tension that increases lustre, strength and dye uptake and gives a smoother appearance.

The resistance of a dyed or printed fabric to colour loss or transfer during washing, light exposure, rubbing or perspiration.

The transfer of colour from a dyed fabric to another surface by rubbing, assessed in a standard rubbing fastness test.

Grams per square metre, a measure of fabric mass per unit area used to compare fabric weight and indicate suitability for a garment type.

A calculated measure of how closely warp and weft yarns cover a woven fabric surface, related to yarn spacing and yarn count.

The process of drawing accurate paper patterns from body measurements, using blocks and styling rules, as a basis for cutting fabric.

The extra width of fabric left beyond the stitching line when cutting a pattern, later trimmed or finished inside the garment.

The systematic enlargement or reduction of a master pattern to produce a range of garment sizes while keeping proportions consistent.

A cheap, loosely woven cotton fabric used in garment construction to make a test garment, called a toile, for checking fit before cutting final fabric.

A circular arrangement of hues showing primary, secondary and tertiary colours, used to plan harmonious colour schemes in textile design.

Two hues lying opposite each other on the colour wheel, such as red and green, which produce strong contrast when used together.

The lightness or darkness of a colour, independent of its hue, important for creating depth and readability in printed textile designs.

A colouring substance obtained from plants, insects or minerals, such as indigo or madder, traditionally used in Indian handloom and craft textiles.

A resist-dyeing technique in which yarns are tied and dyed before weaving, producing blurred, feathery patterns characteristic of Patan and Pochampalli textiles.

A traditional Indian tie-and-dye technique in which small points of fabric are tied before dyeing to create dotted patterns, associated with Gujarat and Rajasthan.

A loom operated by hand or foot without electric power, widely used in Indian rural textile production and protected as a traditional sector.

A loom driven by electric motor, offering higher production speed than a handloom and forming the backbone of India's mill and decentralised weaving sector.

A geographical concentration of textile units, such as Tiruppur for knitwear or Surat for synthetic fabrics, supported by common facilities and government schemes.