textile
Americannoun
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any cloth or goods produced by weaving, knitting, or felting.
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a material, as a fiber or yarn, used in or suitable for weaving.
Glass can be used as a textile.
adjective
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woven or capable of being woven.
textile fabrics.
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of or relating to weaving.
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of or relating to textiles or the production of textiles.
the textile industry.
noun
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any fabric or cloth, esp woven
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raw material suitable to be made into cloth; fibre or yarn
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a non-nudist, as described by nudists; one who wears clothes
adjective
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of textile
1520–30; < Latin textilis woven, textile (noun use of neuter) woven fabric, equivalent to text ( us ), past participle of texere to weave + -ilis, -ile -ile
Explanation
A textile is something made by knitting, weaving, or crocheting fibers together. A textile is a cloth. You’re probably wearing a textile right now! Textile comes from the Latin word, textilis for "woven fabric” and that's exactly what it is. If you’re in the textile business, you’re dealing with the stuff that gets turned into clothes, flags, dishrags, or anything else made of cloth. If you knit a scarf, you create a hand-made textile — although the word is more often used in art or industry, as in textile design or textile imports.
Vocabulary lists containing textile
Maus I: My Father Bleeds History
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Human Geography - Middle School
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The Industrial Revolution - Introductory
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Textile dyeing and finishing operations generate large amounts of contaminated wastewater, making dye removal and water reuse ongoing challenges.
From Science Daily • Jun. 12, 2026
Lauren Junestrand, innovation and sustainability network manager at the UK Fashion and Textile Association says, "The UK has huge potential to incorporate robotics."
From BBC • May 18, 2026
Textile worker Sabina Khatun is in limbo after losing her job during sweeping factory closures, caught up like millions in Bangladesh in the fallout from a 2024 uprising that toppled years of autocratic rule.
From Barron's • Feb. 1, 2026
In a January meeting with Mayorkas, the National Council of Textile Organizations complained about unfair trade practices, including the de minimis rule.
From Seattle Times • Mar. 3, 2024
Many topics interesting to teachers of industrial work are dealt with in the instruction papers of the International Correspondence Schools, Textile department.
From Hand-Loom Weaving A Manual for School and Home by Todd, Mattie Phipps
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
