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Glite Dictionary
🌱 A fiber plant 🧵 A strong fiber
Manila hemp

Manila hemp

7.0
A tall plant from the Philippines whose leaf stalks give strong fiber for rope, paper, and textiles
  • noun
  • /məˈnɪlə hɛmp/
translation icon : abacá
  • The coarse fiber obtained from Manila hemp is highly valued for making ropes and marine cables.

Examples

  • Exports of Manila hemp have played a significant role in the economy of the Philippines.

  • Unlike regular hemp, Manila hemp comes from the abaca plant, a type of banana.

  • The Manila hemp is used for making durable ropes.

  • Many artisans prefer Manila hemp for their crafts.

  • The strong fiber from Manila hemp is often used to create sturdy ropes for fishing.

  • Craftspeople choose Manila hemp for its durability and resistance to saltwater damage.

  • Many products such as bags and hats are made from Manila hemp fibers due to their strength.

Synonyms

abaca
vsManila hemp
  • Philippine
9.9

A Philippine banana plant whose leaf stalks give fiber for ropes and paper

is the more general name for the same plant rather than the local term
Musa textilis
vsManila hemp
  • Specialized
9.8

A banana plant from the Philippines with strong leaf stalks used to make rope and paper

is the everyday name for the same species rather than the Latin name

Surface Forms

Manila hemp singular
Manila hemps plural

Morphology

Manila + hemp

The compound signals a material ('hemp') associated with a place ('Manila'), so a B1 learner who knows both words would likely infer it names a strong fiber from Manila used for ropes or textiles. However, the term is historically somewhat misleading—'Manila hemp' refers specifically to abacá rather than true hemp—so the precise botanical/technical meaning is not fully predictable from the parts.

Etymology

Manila hemp is named after the city of Manila because the strong 'fiber' from the abaca plant was sent from that port. Picture the plant's long leaf stalks giving tough 'fiber' used for 'rope' and paper, so the name now means the plant and its strong fibers.