kemp
9.9
A coarse, stiff hair in wool that does not take dye well
- noun
- /kɛmp/
- Specialized
:
kemp
- The presence of kemp lowers the quality of the wool.
Examples
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She examined the fleece for kemp before deciding to buy it.
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High-quality yarn is made from wool with little or no kemp.
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The kemp in this wool makes it less desirable.
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Some sheep produce more kemp than others.
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The presence of kemp lowers the quality of the wool.
-
She examined the fleece for kemp before deciding to buy it.
-
High-quality yarn is made from wool with little or no kemp.
How Coarse
Surface Forms
Etymology
Kemp for the coarse, wiry fiber in wool probably comes from an old word meaning 'stiff hair', so it names the rough hairs that do not take dye and so lower the wool's quality.