Bulk: Refers to the volume of a yarn (how much space it takes up) related to its size or count (relationship between length and mass or weight). A bulky yarn occupies more space than a yarn of similar count that is not bulky.

Cabled yarn: Two or more folded yarns twisted together. One or more components in a cabled yarn can be a single yarn. Cabled yarns are also known as corded yarns.

Comfort Stretch: Degree of elasticity within a yarn or fabric which ensure continuing good fit in garment which conform to the body, e.g. tights, tube dresses, leggings.

Continuous filament yarn: Yarn made of one or more continuous strands called filaments where each component strand or filament runs the whole length of the yarn. Continuous filament yarns are also known as filament yarns, and fabric made from them can be called filament fabrics.

Effect yarn: Name for fancy yarn in other European countries.

Marl: Two slubbings or rovings of different colors or luxre are run together and drafted into one. In the worsted industry the term has a very precise meaning, and a number of sub-divisions are found, e.g. single marl, double marl, half-marl. More generally the term is used loosely to describe a yarn showing two distinct colors.

Monofilament yarn: Yarn made up of one strand or filament which runs the whole length of the yarn.

Novelty yarn: Name for fancy yarn in the United States.

Opacity: Degree of opaqueness; not translucent or transparent.

Plied: Refers to a yarn where two or more single yarns have been twisted together. Such yarns are known as folded, doubled or piled yarns.

Power Stretch: Degree of elasticity within a yarn or fabric which enables it to be suitable for figure control garments used in corsetry.

Single yarn / singles: Yarn produced by one unit of the spinning machine.

Skein: Unsupported coil of yarn, where the two ends are tied to maintain the shape of the coil. Alternative name for hank.

Spun yarn: See staple fibre yarn.

Staple fibre yarn: Yarn made from staple fibres which are twisted together in order to form a continuous length.

Textured yarn: Manmade filament yarn than has been treated by one of a variety of methods to introduce durable crimps, coils and loops along the length of the filaments.

Top: Combed silver produced on the worsted spinning system.

Tow: Mass of manmade filaments free from twist.

Twist-lively: Very twisted or hand twisted S or Z twist yarn that tends to snarl or twist around itself when free from tension.

Yarn: A fine continuous length of fibres and/or filament(s), with or without twist, that is strong enough to be processed into fabric.

YSW (Woolen Yorkshire): Indirect count system used for wool and other fibres spun on the woolen system. The count number is the number of skieins, each measuring a standard 256 yards, that weigh one pound. 30s YSW count means that 30 skeins, each of 256 yards, weigh one pound. 20s YSW count means that 20 skeins, each of 256 yards, weigh one pound.

Crush cutting: Method of cutting continuous filament tow into staple fibres of predetermined length, where the filaments of the tow are severed by crushing between an anvil roller and a cutting roller with blades helically arranged around its circumference.

Fibrillation: Process of stretching a film or sheet of plastic until it spilt up into a network of interconnected fibres.

Lap: Sheet of fibres, formed at various intermediate stages in textile processing.

Noil: The shorter fibres separated from the longer fibres by coming during a preparatory process before spinning.

Package: Assembly of yarn wound onto a support, e.g. Cone, cheese.

Spinneret: Metal plate perforated with holes, through which the fibre-forming substances in either a plastic, molten state, or in solution, are extruded during the manufacture of manmade fibres.

Spinning system: Particular system of processes and machines for spinning particular types of fibre, e.g. cotton system, woolen system, worsted system.

Stretch breaking: Method of cutting continuous filament tow into staple fibres of predetermined length, where the filaments of the tow are broken by progressive stretching between successive sets of rollers.

Tow-to-top conversion: Process where continuous filaments in the form of tow are converted directly into silver for the production of spun yarns.

Web: Sheet of fibres.

Woolen system: Spinning system developed specifically for wool fibres, but which is now used in addition for other fibres and fibres blends where the fibres are of similar dimensions.

Worsted system: Spinning system developed specifically for wool fibres, where the fibres are combed to remove short fibres and make the remaining fibres lie more parallel. Used in addition for other fibres and fibre blends where the fibres are of similar dimensions.

Bicomponent fibre yarn: Yarn made from bicomponent fibres.

Bicomponent filament yarn: Yarn made from bicomponent filaments.

Biconstituent yarn: Manmade filament yarn where two or more different filaments are spun in the same operation. Also known as co-spun yarn and filament blend yarn.

Co-spun yarn: Manmade filament yarn where two of more different filaments are spun in the same operation. Also known as biconstituent yarn and filament blend yarn.

Elastomeric yarn: Yan containing filaments of either elastodiene or elastane polymers, characterized by very high extensibility with complete or near complete recovery.

Filament blend yarn: Manmade filament yarn where two or more different filaments are spun in the same operation. Also known as bicontituent yarn and co-spun yarn.

Flake yarn: Fancy yarn characterized by irregular patches of flattened slubs.

Gimp yarn: Fancy yarn with a neat, wavy configuration.

Knicherbocker yarn: Fancy yarn characterized by random flecks or spots of differently coloured fibres.

Knit-de-knit-yarn: Textured yarn produced by knitting yarn into fabric, heat setting it, and then unraveling the yarn.

Knop yarn: Fancy yarn characterized by rounded clumps of yarn arranged at intervals.

Loop Yarn: Fancy yarn characterized by circular loops of yarn projecting from the yarn surface.

Marl effect yarn: Yarn produced from two single continuous filament yarns of different solid colors twisted together.

Marl yarn: Yarn consisting of two or more spun single yarns of different color twisted together.

Nepp yarn: Alternative name for knickerbockers yarn.

Split-film yarn: Yarn made by stretching a film or sheet of plastic until it fibrillates or splits up into a network of fibres. At the same time twisting under tension occurs to form the yarn, e.g. polypropylene parcel twine.

Stripe yarn: Fancy yarn characterized by elongated clumps of yarn arranged at intervals.

Tuffle yarn: Fancy yarn where several yarns are twisted together to form lumps in continuous succession throughout the yarn.

Union yarn: Yarn made by twisted together yarns of different fibres, e.g. a silk yarn twisted with a cotton yarn.

Wrap yarn: Yarn where a fibrous yarn is wrapped with one or more other yarns which bind in the projecting fibre ends.

Wrap-spun yarn: Yarn where a yarn is wrapped round a twist less drafted strand of staple fibres.