 |
M |
 |
|
 |
| |
Machine-washable |
|
A
Term Denoting That A Textile Article Can Be Washed In A Domestic
Washing Machine To Remove Dirt And Other Extraneous Substances Using
An Aqueous Detergent Solution At Elevated Temperatures.

|
|
| Madapolam |
A
Bleached Or Dyed Plain Cotton Fabric With A Soft Finish In Any Of A
Wide Range Of Qualities Used For Ladies Wear.

|
| Madras |
Cotton
Fabric Hand-woven In The Madras Region Of India.
 |
| Madras
Plaid |
Bright
Multicolored Plaids Characteristic Of Indian Madras.
 |
| Maline |
A
Fine Hexagonal Open Mesh Net Similar To Tulle. Used For Veils
Millinery Trim.
 |
| Mandeel |
A
Kind Of Decoratively Worn Turban.
 |
| Mangle |
A
Machine Whose Purpose Is To Express Liquid From Moving Textiles By
Passage Through A Nip. The Textile May Be In Rope Form Or In Open
Width, And The Mangle May Consist Of Two Or More Rollers (bowls)
Running In Contact.

|
| Manila |
See
Abaca.
 |
| Man-made
Fibre |
A
Fibre Manufactured By Man As Distinct From A Fibre That Occurs
Naturally.
 |
| Mantua,
Also Manteau |
Widespread
Female Dress Of The Late 17th Century. Developed From A T-shaped
Garment, Which Is First Pleated Informally At The Shoulders And The
Waist Pleats Are Controlled By A Belt. Instead Of Cutting The Bodice
And Skirt As Separate Pieces That Were Sewn Together, Bodice And
Skirt Were Cut In One Length From Shoulder To Hem. Cut To Fall Full
In Back And Front, The Garment Was Worn Over A Corset And An
Underskirt. Front Skirt Edges Were Often Pulled To The Back And
Fastened To Form A Draped Effect, The So-called Waterfall-backdrape.

|
| Marl |
To
Run Together And Draft Into One, Two Slubbings Or Rovings Of
Different Colour Or Lustre.
 |
| Marl
Effect Yarn (continuous-filament) |
Two
Single, Continuous-filament Yarns, Of Different Solid Colours Or
Dyeing Properties (subsequently Dyed) Doubled Together., Also Termed
Ingrain (filament Yarn)

|
| Marl
Yarn (woollen) |
A
Yarn Consisting Of Two Woollen-spun Single Ends Of Different Colours
Twisted Together.
 |
| Marlborough
Bucket Boot |
Thigh-high
Riding Boot With Cup-shaped Wide Top, Square Toes And Higher Heels
Than The Jackboot. Made From Stiff Leather; Fourth Quarter Of 17th
Century To Beginning Of 18th Century.

|
| Marled |
Yarns
Made Up Of 2 Different Colors, Produced By Combining Fiber Strands (rovings)
Of 2 Different Colors, Or Twisting Together 2 Yarns Of Different
Colors, Or By Cross Dyeing Plied Yarns Of 2 Different Fibers.

|
| Marocain |
A
Woven Crepe Fabric With A Wavy Rib Effect In The Weft Resulting From
The Use Of High Twist Yarns. Used In Women's Dresses, Suits.

|
| Marquisette |
Fine
Lightweight Open Mesh Fabric. Used For Curtains, Mosquito Netting,
Trim For Evening Wear, Or Millinery.

|
| Mashru |
A
Fabric Woven Of Silk And Cotton, The Warp Of One Material And The
Weft Of The Other. Literally, 'that Which Is In Accordance With The
Shara, Muslim Holy Law, Which Disapproves Of An Arel Made Of Silk.

|
| Mask |
Theatrical
Accessory In Ancient Times, It Was Adopted In The 16th And 17th
Century By Women, To Protect The Wearer's Complexion And Preserve
Her Incognito. See Also Vizor.

|
| Mass
Stress |
A
Term That Has Been Superseded By Specific Stress.
 |
| Mass-coloured |
Descriptive
Of Man-made Fibres In Which Colouring Matter (e.g., Dye Or Pigment)
Has Been Incorporated Before The Filament Is Formed.

|
| Mass-pigmented |
Descriptive
Of A Form Of Mass-coloration In Which A Pigment Is Used
 |
| Matchings |
Wool
That Has Been Sorted.
 |
| Matelasse |
A
Fancy Double Woven Or Compound Fabric That Has The Appearance Of
Being Padded, Puckered Or Quilted . It Is Usually Woven On A
Jacquard Loom. Used For Upholstery , Drapery, Vests . Lighter
Weights Are Used For Dresses And Other Apparel.

|
| Matt |
See
Dull.
 |
| Matte
Jersey |
Tricot
With A Dull Surface Made With Fine Crepe Yarn.
 |
| Mature
Cotton |
Cotton
Whose Fibre Wall Has Thickened To An Acceptable Degree., See Also
Immature Cotton, Motes
 |
| Maturity |
An
Important Cotton Fibre Characteristic Which Expresses The Relative
Degree Of Thickening Of Wall. It Is Sometimes Defined As The Ratio
Of The Cross-sectional Area Of The Fibre Wall To The Area Of A
Circle Having The Same Perimeter As That Of The Fibre, Or The Ratio
Of The Average Wall Thickness To The Radius Of The Circle Having The
Same Perimeter As That Of The Fibre. However, In Practice,
Measurement Of The Degree Of Wall Thickening Is Seldom Carried Out
And The Average Maturity Of A Given Sample Of Cotton Is Estimated By
One Or More Of Several Indirect Tests Which Are Often Used To
Discover The Proportion Of Fibres Having A Maturity Greater Than
Some Selected Level.

|
| Mauritius
Hemp |
A
Fibre From The Leaf Of The Plant Furcraea Gigantea., Also Termed
Mauritius Fibre, See Also Fibre Types

|
| Mechanical
Stretch |
Fabrics
That Have Stretch Properties But No Not Use Spandex Or Other Stretch
Yarns. The Stretch Is Usually Created In The Finishing Process.

|
| Mechlen
Lace |
A
Bobbin Lace Characterized By Delicate Florals Outlined With A Silky
Thread.
 |
| Medulla |
The
Central Portion Of Some Animal Fibres Consisting Of A Series Of
Cavities Formed By The Medullary Cells Which Collapse During The
Growth Process. In Some Fibres E.g., Wool And Kemp, The Medulla
Forms The Greatest Portion Of The Fibre And Is Surrounded By A
Comparatively Thin Layer Of Cortex.

|
| Melange/heather |
A
Variation In Tone Or Mottled Look . May Be Done By Mixing Fibers Or
Yarn Of Different Colors Together, Printing Of The Top Before
Spinning The Yarn, Or Cross Dyeing The Fabric.

|
| Melt
Blowing |
A
Process In Which A Polymer Is Melt-extruded Through A Die Into A
High-velocity Stream Of Hot Air, Which Converts It Into Fine And
Relatively Short Fibres. After Quenching By A Cold Air Stream, The
Fibres Are Collected As A Sheet On A Moving Screen.

|
| Melt
Fracture |
An
Unstable Melt-spinning Condition In Which The Surface Of The
Extrudate Becomes Rough And Irregular.

|
Melt
Spinning (man-made Fibre Production)
 |
Conversion
Of A Molten Polymer Into Filaments By Extrusion And Subsequent
Cooling Of The Extrudate. |
| Melton |
A
Heavily Felted, Tightly Woven Fabric With A Sheared Nap Giving It A
Smooth Surface. It Is Almost Always Of Wool Or A Wool Blend. Used
Mainly For Coats But Lighter Weights May Be Used For Other Apparel.

|
| Melt-spun |
Descriptive
Of Man-made Filaments Produced By Melt-spinning.
 |
| Mercerization |
(1)
The Treatment Of Cellulosic Textiles In Yam Or Fabric Form With A
Concentrated Solution Of Caustic Alkali Whereby The Fibres Are
Swollen, The Strength And Dye Affinity Of The Materials Are
Increased, And The Handle Is Modified. The Process Takes Its Name
From Its Discoverer, John Mercer (1844)., The Additional Effect Of
Enhancing The Lustre By Stretching The Swollen Materials While Wet
With Caustic Alkali And Then Washing Off Was Discovered By Horace
Lowe (1889). The Modern Process Of Mercerization Involves Both
Swelling In Caustic Alkalis And Stretching, To Enhance The Lustre,
To Increase Colour Yield, To Improve Dyeability Of Dead Cotton And
To Improve The Strength Of The Cotton. A Related Process, Liquid
Ammonia Treatment Produces Some Of The Effects Of Mercerization. In
Chain Mercerizing, Shrinkage In Fabric Width Is Allowed, Followed By
Re-stretching And Washing On A Clip-stenter. In Chainless
Mercerizing, The Fabric Is Effectively Prevented From Shrinking By
Transporting Over Rotating Drums.:(2) Hot Mercerization, The
Treatment Of Cellulosic Fabric With A Hot Concentrated Solution Of
Caustic Alkali To Facilitate Uniform Penetration Prior To Cooling
And Stretching Etc., So As To Improve The Degree Of Mercerization.

|
| Mercerized |
A
Finishing Process For Cotton Using Caustic Soda Which May Be Applied
At The Yarn Or Fabric Stage Resulting In Additional Luster, Improved
Strength And An Improved Ability To Take Dye.

|
| Merchant
Converter |
An
Individual Who Or An Organization Which Locates A Supplier And
Purchases Grey Fabric, Procures Its Finishing And Then Re-sells The
Finished Fabric To Customers.

|
| Merino |
(1)
Wool From Merino Sheep. The Merino Breed Of Sheep Originated In
Spain And The Wool Is Noted For Its Fineness And Whiteness. It Was
Confined To Spain Until The Late 1700's When Merino Sheep Were
Exported To, And Bred In, Many Other Countries. Well Known Types Of
Merino Are: Australian Ramboulliet, Vermont, South African, Saxony
Etc. The Word 'merino' Is Now Almost Synonymous With 'fine Wool'.,
(2) A Pre-20th Century Term Applied In France And Germany To Worsted
Fabrics Produced From Yarns Using Merino Or Other Fine Wools., (3) A
Plainback Worsted Fabric Developed In England In The 1820's. It Was
Made From Fine Yarns Spun From Merino Or Other Fine Wools Of 23 To
28 Tex For The Warp And 17 To 22 Tex For The Weft. The Stimulus For
The Development Of This Fabric Was The Availability Of Fine
Machine-spun Worsted Yarn, (4) Woollen Fabrics Made In England From
Yams Produced From Wool Reclaimed From Soft Woollen And Worsted
Dress Goods., (5) A French Shawl Made From Two-fold Warp Yam Using
Merino Wool. The Weft Yarn Is Made From Other Wool Or Silk., (6) A
Fine Cotton Fabric Used As A Dress Material In The Philippines. It
Is Made From Yarns Of 13 Tex For The Warp, And 15 To 10 Tex For The
Weft With 32 Ends X 32 Picks Per Cm.

|
| Merino |
Refers
To Wool From The Merino Sheep Which Produces A Fine, Strong Elastic
Fiber Of Very High Quality . It Can Be Washed To A Clean White Color
And Has Good Felting And Spinning Characteristics.

|
| Mesh |
A
General Term For Fabric With Open Spaces Between The Yarns. It May
Be Knit , Woven Or Knotted (net) In Construction.

|
| Mesta |
See
Kenaf
 |
| Metachrome
Process |
A
Single-bath Method Of Dyeing In Which The Fibre Is Treated In A
Dyebath Containing A Suitable Chrome Dye Together With A Chromate,
Whereby A Dye-chromium Complex Is Formed Within The Fibre.

|
Metal
(fibre) (generic Name)
 |
A
Term Used To Describe Fibres Made From Any Metal. |
| Metallic |
A
Highly Lustrous, Reflective Fabric That Has The Appearance Of Metal.
May Be Coated Or Made From Synthetic Yarns In Metallic Colors.

|
| Metallized
Yarn |
A
Yam Which Has Free Metal As A Component., Note: There Are Several
Types, The Best Known Of Which Are:, , (2) Metal Of Narrow Strip
Section, Usually Lustrous. The Metal May Be Coated With Film Such As
Viscose Cellulose Ethanoate (acetate), Butanoate (butyrate), Or
Polyester. The Film May Be Coloured. , (3) Yarns On Which Metal Is
Deposited, E.g., Chemically Or By Electric Arc, Or By Adhesive,, (4)
Multi-end Yams In Which At Least One Single Yarn Is Metallic, (cf.
Tinsel Yarn.), (5) A Gimp In Which The Helical Covering Consists Of
A Metallic Or Laminated Strip.

|
| Metameric |
Descriptive
Of Objects That Exhibit Metamerism.
 |
| Metamerism |
A
Phenomenon Whereby The Nature Of The Colour Difference Between Two
Similarly Coloured Objects, Changes With Change In The Spectral
Distribution (characteristics) Of The Illuminant., Note 1:
Metamerism Is Most Frequently Seen When Two Coloured Objects Match
In Daylight, But Differ Markedly In Colour When Viewed In
Tungsten-filament Light. This Arises Because The Visible Absorption
Spectra Of The Two Objects Differ Significantly, Although The
Tristimulus Values In Daylight Are Identical., Note 2: This Term Is
Often Used Loosely To Describe The Behavior Of A Single Coloured
Object That Shows A Marked Change Of Colour As The Illuminant
Changes. Use Of This Term In This Way Is Incorrect: This Effect
Should Be Described As Lack Of Colour Constancy.

|
| Metier |
The
Bank Of Cells Or Compartments Used In The Dry-spinning Of Cellulose
Ethanoate (cellulose Acetate)

|
| Microfiber |
Extremely
Fine Synthetic Fiber Used To Produce Soft, Lightweight Fabrics .
Microfiber Is Often Defined As Fibers Of Less Than 1 Denier Per
Filament But The Term Is Used Loosely In The Industry. May Be
Polyester, Nylon, Acrylic, Rayon Or Other Fibers. Used For Rainwear,
Outerwear And Various Other Types Of Apparel.

|
| Micromattique |
Brand
Of Polyester Microfiber Trademarked By Du Pont.
 |
| Micronaire
Value . |
A
Measurement Of Cotton Fibre Quality Which Is A Reflection Of Both
Fineness And Maturity. Low Values Indicate Fine And/or Immature
Fibres; High Values Indicate Coarse And/or Mature Fibres. Micronaire
Value Is Determined In Practice By Measuring The Air Permeability Of
A Specified Plug Of Cotton Fibres.

|
| Milanese |
A
Warp Knit Process Resulting In A Fabric With A Fine Rib On The Face
And A Diamond Effect On The Back. Used For Women's Lingerie And
Other Apparel.

|
| Mildew |
A
Superficial Growth Of Certain Species Of Fungi., Note: On Textile
Materials, This May Lead To Discoloration, Tendering, And Variation
In Properties.

|
| Milled/fulled |
A
Method Of Compressing , Shrinking And Felting A Fabric Through The
Use Of Moisture Heat And Mechanical Pressure. Usually Done On Wool
And Wool Blends Such As Melton. The Process Often Obscure The Weave.

|
| Milling
(fabric Finishing) |
The
Process Of Consolidating Or Compacting Woven Or Knitted Fabrics That
Usually, Although Not Exclusively Contain Wool., Note., The
Treatment, Which Is Usually Given In A Cylinder Milling Machine Or
In Milling Stocks, Produces Relative Motion Between The Fibres Of A
Fabric. That Have Been Wetted Out And Swollen With A Liquid Of
Suitable pH. Depending On The Type Of Fibre And Structure Of The
Fabric And On Variations In The Conditions Of Milling, A Wide Range
Of Effects Can Be Obtained Varying From A Slight Alteration In
Handle To A Dense Matting With Considerable Reduction In Area.

|
| Millitex |
A
Unit Of The Tex System
 |
| Mini
Check |
A
Very Small Pattern Of Squares Or Rectangles . May Be Yarn Dyed,
Printed, Or Woven Into The Fabric. |
| Minimum-care |
See
Drip-dry
 |
| Mirzai |
A
Kind Of Jacket, Often Understood As A 'quilted Coat'. It Was
Generally Worn Sleeveless Over A Shirt As Outer Garment; Worn
Sometimes Also Next To The Skin, Without Anything Underneath It.

|
| Mock
Leno |
A
Woven Fabric Made On A Dobby Loom With An Open Mesh Design That
Simulates A Leno Weave By Interlacing And Grouping The Warp And Weft
Yarns With Spaces Between The Groups. Warp Yarns Are Not Paired As
In A True Leno Weave.

|
| Modacrylic
(fibre) (generic Name) |
Fibres
Composed Of Synthetic Linear Macromolecules Having In The Chain
Between 35% And 85% (by Mass) Of Recurring Cyanoethane (acrylonitrile)
Groups.

|
| Modal
(fibre) (generic Name) |
A
Term Used To Describe Fibres Of Regenerated Cellulose Obtained By
Processes Giving A High Tenacity And A High Wet Modulus. These
Fibres Must Be Able, In The Wet State, To Withstand Without Breaking
A Force Of 22.o Cn Per Tex. Under This Force, The Elongation In The
Wet State Should Not Be Greater Than 15%.

|
| Modeste |
French
Word For The Outer Layer Of A Skirt. The Underlayer Was Called Secrète.
 |
| Mohair |
(1)
Fibre From The Angora Goat (capra Hircus), (2) Descriptive Of Yams
Spun From Mohair.
 |
| Mohair
Braid |
Any
Type Of Braid Made From Mohair Yams.
 |
| Moire |
A
Wavy Watermark Pattern Produced By Calendering 2 Layers Of Fabric
Together Or Embossing With An Engraved Roller. This Causes The
Embossed Or Crushed Parts Of The Fabric To Reflect Light Differently
. It Is Often Done On Corded Fabrics And Is Often Used For
Upholstery And Drapery.

|
| Moiré
Fabric |
A
Ribbed Or Corded Fabric That Has Been Subjected To Heat And Heavy
Pressure By Rollers After Weaving So As To Present A Rippled
Appearance. The Effect Arises From Differences In Reflection Of The
Flattened And The Unaffected Parts. This Type Of Fabric Is Also
Correctly Described As Watered

|
Moisture
Content, Percentage
 |
The
Weight Of Moisture In A Material Expressed As A Percentage Of The
Total Weight |
| Moity
Wool |
A
Term Used Mainly In The Uk, For Wool Containing Vegetable Matter
(straw, Hay, Twigs, Etc.,) Picked Up By Sheep During Grazing.

|
| Molar
Mass (polymer) |
The
Average Of The Sum Of The Atomic Weights Of The Atoms Present In The
Chains Of Macromolecules In A Polymer. This Average Will In General
Depend Upon The Basis On Which Calculated, And This Should Be
Stated, E.g., It May Be Based On A Number Average Or A Mass Average

|
| Moleskin |
A
Strong, Heavy, Woven Fabric With A Short, Smooth Nap Produced By
Brushing And Shearing The Surface. Usually Of Cotton.

|
| Molten-metal
Dyeing Process |
A
Method Of Continuous Dyeing In Which Material Is Impregnated With An
Aqueous Liquid Dye And Chemicals And Then Passed Through A Bath Of
Liquid Low-melting Alloy Usually Below 100 °c

|
| Momme |
A
Japanese Measurement Of Mass Equivalent To 3.76g (approximately). It
Is Used To Indicate The Weight Per Unit Area Of Silk Fabric, This
Being Expressed As The Weight In Momme Of A Length Of Degummed
Fabric 22.8 M In Length And 3.8 Cm In Width., Note: The Length
Measurements Used Are Standard Units Of Length In The Japanese Silk
Industry.

|
| Monk's
Cloth |
A
Heavy, Coarse, Loosely Woven Fabric Made In A Basket Weave . Used
For Drapery, Upholstery And Other Home Furnishings

|
| Monofilament
Yarn |
A
Yam Composed Of One Filaments That Run Essentially The Whole Length
Of The Yarn. Yams Of More Than One Filament Are Usually Referred To
As Multifilament .

|
| Monomer |
A
Small, Simple, Chemical Compound From Which A Polymer Is Formed.,
Note: In Most Cases A Given Polymer Can Be Made From A Variety Of
Alternative Monomers. In Some Cases Two Or More Different Monomers
Are Involved In The Production Of A Polymer.

|
| Monotone |
Refers
To A Design In One Color.
 |
| Moquette |
A
Firm Double Woven Pile Fabric Used Mainly For Upholstery . Pile May
Be Cut , Uncut Or Partially Cut.
 |
| Mordant |
A
Substance, Usually A Metallic Compound, Applied To A Substrate To
Form A Complex With A Dye, Which Is Retained By The Substrate More
Firmly Than The Dye Itself.

|
| Mordant
Dye |
A
Dye That Is Fixed With A Mordant
 |
| Moshla |
A
Cap, Worn Usually By Children, Covering, Apart From The Back, The
Back Of The Neck Through A Long, Suspended Flap.

|
| Moss
Crepe/pebble Crepe |
A
Woven Fabric With A Characteristic Grainy Surface And Often A Spongy
Hand. Generally Made With High Twist Yarn In A Crepe Weave. Used In
Women's Suits, Dresses Etc.

|
| Mossed |
1.
A Finish Usually Applied To Synthetics Which Gives The Fabric
Surface An Irregular, Mottled Appearance . 2. A Fibrous Texture On
The Surface Of Felted Woolen Fabrics.

|
| Motes
(cotton) |
There
Are Two Broad Categories, (a) Fuzzy Motes, The Largest Of This Type
Of Mote Consists Of Whole Aborted Or Immature Seed With Fuzz Fibres
And Sometimes Also With Very Short Lint Fibres, The Development Of
Which Has Ceased At A Very Early Stage. Small Fuzzy Motes Originate
As Either Undeveloped Or Fully Grown Seeds, Which Are Broken In
Ginning And Disintegrate Still Further In The Opening, Cleaning And
Carding Processes., (b) Bearded Needles. A Piece Of Seed Coat With
Fairy Long Lint Fibres Attached., Note 1: Both Classes Of Mote
Become Entangled With The Lint Cotton And, When They Are Present In
Quantity, Their Complete Elimination Is Impossible Except By
Combing., Note 2: Fuzzy And Bearded Motes Carrying Only A Small
Piece Of Barely Visible Seed-coat Are Frequently Termed Seed-coat
Neps.

|
| Mottle
(U.K.) |
See
Marl
 |
| Mouches |
French
Word For Small Black Patches Worn On The Face To Hide Little
Blemishes. They Came Into Fashion In The Second Half Of The 17th
Century And Developed Far Into The 18th Century A Language Of Its
Own, Where They Were Exaggeratedly Used Even By Men And Available In
Diverse Shapes.

|
| Mousseline |
General
Term For Crisp, Lightweight, Semi-opaque Fabrics . May Be Made From
A Variety Of Fibers.
 |
| Muff |
Round
Band Of Fur Or Fur Lined Cloth To Protect The Hands From The Cold.
 |
| Muga |
See
Wild Silk
 |
| Mughlai
Pyjama |
A
Pyjama (q. V.) Of The 'mughal' Cut.
 |
| Mull |
Soft,
Thin, Plain Weave Fabric Usually Of Cotton Or Silk.
 |
| Multi-filament
Yarn |
A
Yam Composed Of Filaments That Run Essentially The Whole Length Of
The Yarn. Yams Of One Filament Are Usually Referred To As
Monofilament .

|
| Multilobal |
Descriptive
Of A Fibre Or Filament Whose Cross-section Resembles A Polygon But
Has Concave Sides And Rounded Vertices (lobes)., Note: The Prefixes
Tri- (3), Penta- (5), Hexa- (6), Octa- (8), Etc., Are Used With The
Suffix -lobal To Indicate The Number Of Lobes.

|
| Munga |
See
Wild Silk
 |
| Mungo |
The
Fibrous Material Made In The Woollen Trade By Pulling Down New Or
Old Hard-woven Or Milled Fabric Or Felt In Rag Form

|
| Muslin |
A
Large Group Of Plain Weave Cotton Or Cotton Blend Fabrics. They
Cover A Variety Of Weights From Light, Fine Sheers To Heavier
Sheetings. Used In Interfacings, Dresses, Shirts, Sheets, Furniture
Covers, And Many Other Applications .

|
| Muslin |
A
Generic Name For A Light-weight, Open Fabric Of Plain Or Simple Leno
Weave Traditionally With A Cover Factor Of 5- 10 In The Warp And 5-9
In The Weft. Normally, Muslins Did Not Exceed 2 Oz/yd2 (68 G.m-2)).
Some Of These Fabrics Are Used In The Grey State (butter Muslin And
Cheese Cloth), Whereas Others (dress Muslins) Are Bleached And Dyed.

|
| Mutton
Cloth |
A
Plain-knitted Fabric Of Loose Texture, Usually Cotton, Made On A
Multi-feeder Circular-knitting Machine.

|