fiber

especially British, fi·bre

[fahy-ber]

noun

1. a fine, threadlike piece, as of cotton, jute, or asbestos.

2. a slender filament.

   a fiber of platinum.

3. filaments collectively.

4. matter or material composed of filaments.

   a plastic fiber.

5. something resembling a filament.

6. an essential character, quality, or strength.

   people of strong moral fiber.

7. Botany.

   1. filamentous matter from the bast tissue or other parts of plants, used for industrial purposes.

   2. a slender, threadlike root of a plant.

   3. a slender, tapered cell which, with like cells, serves to strengthen tissue.

8. Anatomy, Zoology.,  a slender, threadlike element or cell, as of nerve, muscle, or connective tissue.

9. Also called bulk, dietary fiber, roughage. Nutrition.

   1. the structural part of plants and plant products that consists of carbohydrates, as cellulose and pectin, that are wholly or partially indigestible and when eaten stimulate peristalsis in the intestine.

   2. food containing a high amount of such carbohydrates, as whole grains, fruits, and vegetables.

10. Chemistry.,  vulcanized fiber.

11. Optics.,  optical fiber.

fiber

/ ˈfaɪbə /

noun

1. the usual US spelling of fibre

fiber

1. The parts of grains, fruits, and vegetables that contain cellulose and are not digested by the body. Fiber helps the intestines absorb water, which increases the bulk of the stool and causes it to move more quickly through the colon.

2. One of the elongated, thick-walled cells, often occurring in bundles, that give strength and support to tissue in vascular plants. Fibers are one type of sclerenchyma cell.

3. Any of the elongated cells of skeletal or cardiac muscle, made up of slender threadlike structures called myofibrils.

4. The axon of a neuron.

Other Word Forms

• fiberless adjective
• interfiber adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of fiber¹

1350–1400; 1970–75 fiber for def. 9; Middle English fibre (< Middle French ) < Latin fibra filament

Example Sentences

Obesity typically causes a reduction in muscle fiber diameter, but green tea prevented this muscle atrophy.

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My ears may not process sound the way others’ do, but every fiber of my being is engaged when I make music.

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“It can be difficult for us old-timers to see all the changes,” said Gosen, who spins goat fiber into yarn outside her soap shop on Mane Street most weekends.

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Communal facilities include spaces for ceramics and textiles; painting and photography; community gatherings; and even an indoor farm with a public seed bank, helping provide local food, art materials and textile fibers.

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In this series, we highlight independent makers and artists, from glassblowers to fiber artists, who are creating original products in and around Los Angeles.

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Related Words

• grain 
• thread 
• tissue