Bengaline

ben-gal-en', a name given to several varieties of rep, or rib-woven textiles. A conspicuous thread running warp-wise of a web is called properly a cord.' If it runs weft-wise, or across the web, it is a rib, and the fabric belongs to the class called rep. Bengaline takes its name from a silken fabric made for hundreds of years at Bengal, India. The bengaline of the dry goods trade may be of silk, silk and wool, or silk and cotton. In weaving the rib is produced by a thick, soft, woolen or cotton weft, which is covered almost entirely by the silk warp.