Moleskin fabric

A thick cotton fabric, originally uncut corduroy having a very high weft sett, piece dyed and given a smooth raised finish to stimulate the fur of a mole. Only one warp is used, but the picks are arranged two face and one back. Typical construction for workwear: 16x 1 34; R74/3x37tex; K=13.8+81.5. Lighter weight constructions are used in the fashion trade. (See also fustian.)

Molleton

A heavy reversible cloth with a nap on both sides. It was originally made of wool.

Molten-metal dyeing process

A method of continuous dying in which material is impregnated with an aqueous liquid containing dye and chemicals and their passed through a bath ofliquid low-melting alloy usually below 100'C.

Momme

A Japanese measurement of mass equivalent to 3.76g (approximately). It is used to indicate the mass per unit area of silk fabric, this being expressed as the weight in momme of a length of degummed fabric 22.8m in length and 3.8cm in width.
Note.. The length measurements used are standard units of length in the Japanese silk kimono industry.

Monk’s Cloth

A rough substantial rather bulky fabric made of very coarse yarn in a 4- and-4 or similar basket-weave construction.

Monofil

See MONOFILAMENT.

Monofilament

Any single filament of a manufactured fiber usually of a denier higher than 14. Instead of a group of filaments being extruded through a spinneret to form a yarn monofilaments generally are spun individually. Monofilaments can be used for textiles such as hosiery or sewing thread or for nontextile uses such as bristles papermaker’s felts fishing lines etc.

Monomer

A small. simple, chemical compound from which a polymer may be formed.
Note..In most cases a given polymer can be made from a variety of alternative monomers . In some cases two or more different moiiomers are involved in the production of a polymer.

Monovoltine silkworm

A variety of silkworm producing one generation per year.

Montagnac fabric

A curly woollen fabric with an astrakhan-like pile, produced by cutting some of the weft floats and leaving others uncut. It is subsequently brushed to form a very warm and durable fabric.

Moquette

An upholstery fabric in which pile warp ends are lifted over wires that may or may not have knives. On withdrawal, the result is a cut or uncut pile. Cut moquette may also be made on the face-to-face principle (see velvet, woven (iii)).

Mordant

A substance, usually a metallic compound applied to a substrate to form a complex with a dye., which is retained by the substrate more firmly than the dye itself.

Mordant dye

A dye that is fixed with a mordant

Moreen

Originally a worsted fabric similar. to harateen. Now a repp cloth, woven with a coarse cotton warp and a fine cotton weft, the cloth having a moire finish.

Moresque

A multicolored yarn formed by twisting or plying single strands of different colors.