Fiber

any fine, thread-like part of a substance, as a natural filament of silk, wool, or cotton. In the manufacture of textiles and fabrics the name is given to any animal or vegetable substance which may be spun into thread or yarn. The most important fibers are the silk of the silkworm, the wool of sheep, the hair of goats and camels, cotton, flax, and hemp. Many other plants yield fibers which are in use for special purposes and which may become more important than they are at the present time. There are two groups of natural fibers. Commercial fibers are those used by manufacturers and are therefore of commercial value. "Native" fibers are used locally and are not yet an article of commerce. Commercial fibers number less than forty, but there are hundreds of native fibers possessing qualities which might make them as valuable as some of the commercial fibers. See Agave; Ramie; Cotton; Cocoanut; Flax; Fur; Hemp; Jute; Milkweed; Palmetto; Pineapple Fiber; Raffia; Silk; Sisal; Grass; Wool; Felt