horsehair

horsehair
—horsehaired, adj.
/hawrs"hair'/, n.
1. a hair or the hair of a horse, esp. from the mane or tail.
2. a sturdy, glossy fabric woven of this hair.
adj.
3. of or pertaining to horsehair: a horsehair mattress.
[1275-1325; ME hors here. See HORSE, HAIR]

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▪ animal fibre
      animal fibre obtained from the manes and tails of horses and ranging in length from 8 inches (20 cm) to 3 feet (90 cm) and most often of black colour. It is coarse, strong, lustrous, and resilient and usually has a hollow central canal, or medulla, making it fairly low in density. Hair taken from the mane is softest and ranges from 50 to 150 microns (a micron is about 0.00004 inch) in diameter. Hair from the tail, coarser and with greater resilience, ranges from 75 to 280 microns in diameter and is marketed separately.

      The longest hairs are used for fabrics; medium lengths are used to make bristles for paint, industrial, and domestic brushes; and very short hair is curled for use as stuffing in upholstered furniture and mattresses. High-grade white horsehair is used for the strings of fine violin bows.

      Horsehair fabric, or haircloth, stiff and with an open weave, is usually made with lengthwise yarns of another fibre, such as cotton, and long, crosswise yarns of horsehair. It is used as interlining or stiffening for tailored garments and millinery but is gradually being replaced for such purposes by materials of synthetic fibres. The fabric, at one time made into shirts worn by religious penitents, became a popular upholstery material in the 19th century. Horsehair for the textile industry is exported chiefly by Argentina and Canada; other producers include Mongolia, China, and Australia.

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Universalium. 2010.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Horsehair — refers to hair taken from the mane or tail of horses. It has various uses including brushes and the bows of musical instruments. The word is also used to refer to haircloth, a hard wearing fabric made from horsehair. The term can also refer to… …   Wikipedia

  • horsehair — [hôrs′her΄] n. [ME horsher] 1. any of the hairs from the mane or tail of a horse 2. a growth of these hairs 3. a stiff fabric made from horsehair; haircloth adj. 1. of horsehair 2. covered or stuffed with horsehair …   English World dictionary

  • Horsehair — Horse hair , n. A hair of a horse, especially one from the mane or tail; the hairs of the mane or tail taken collectively; Specifically: a black shiny fabric made of such hairs, used commonly in the 1800 s as a covering for stuffed furniture such …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • horsehair — (n.) late 14c., from HORSE (Cf. horse) (n.) + HAIR (Cf. hair) …   Etymology dictionary

  • horsehair — ► NOUN ▪ hair from the mane or tail of a horse, used in furniture for padding …   English terms dictionary

  • horsehair — /ˈhɔshɛə/ (say hawshair) noun 1. a hair, or the hair, of a horse, especially from the mane or tail. 2. a sturdy, glossy fabric woven of horsehair. –adjective 3. made of or relating to horsehair. 4. (of upholstered furniture) stuffed or padded… …  

  • horsehair — noun Date: 14th century 1. the hair of a horse especially from the mane or tail 2. cloth made from horsehair …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • horsehair — [[t]hɔ͟ː(r)sheə(r)[/t]] N UNCOUNT: oft N n Horsehair is hair from the tails or manes of horses and was used in the past to fill mattresses and furniture such as armchairs …   English dictionary

  • Horsehair worm — Horsehair Horse hair , n. A hair of a horse, especially one from the mane or tail; the hairs of the mane or tail taken collectively; Specifically: a black shiny fabric made of such hairs, used commonly in the 1800 s as a covering for stuffed… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • horsehair worm — n. GORDIAN WORM …   English World dictionary

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