fabric stiffener
- noun
- /ˈfæbrɪk ˈstɪfənər/
- I bought some fabric stiffener for my sewing project.
Examples
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Add fabric stiffener to your craft project if you want the lace to hold its shape.
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She prefers using a homemade fabric stiffener when working with delicate materials.
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The instructions recommended applying fabric stiffener to achieve crisp folds in the fabric.
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The fabric stiffener worked wonders on the curtains.
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To create a sturdy sculpture, use a brush to apply the fabric stiffener to the fabric before shaping it.
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She bought fabric stiffener to give her homemade hats a more structured look.
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Before crafting the decoration, make sure to coat the fabric with fabric stiffener for better durability.
Synonyms
A material that makes something stronger and stops it bending
A product added after washing to make clothes firmer
Antonyms
How Stiff
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'a substance used to make fabric stiffer' is directly and transparently derivable from combining 'fabric' (textile material) with 'stiffener' (a material or device that prevents bending). This straightforward noun–noun composition follows common compounding patterns (e.g. 'shoe polish', 'thread cutter') and would be clear to a B1 learner who knows both constituents and basic sewing/laundry contexts.
Etymology
Fabric stiffener comes from old laundry and craft work where people used starch to make cloth hard so collars and lace would keep their shape. A stiffener is something that makes fabric stiff, so the phrase means a product you add to material to make it 'less flexible' or 'hold its shape'.