heddle

American  

[hed-l] / ˈhɛd l /

noun

1. one of the sets of vertical cords or wires in a loom, forming the principal part of the harness that guides the warp threads.

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heddle British  

/ ˈhɛdəl /

noun

1. one of a set of frames of vertical wires on a loom, each wire having an eye through which a warp thread can be passed

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Etymology

Origin of heddle

1505–15; perhaps representing Old English *hefedl, a metathetic variant of hefeld ( Middle English helde, ModE heald ), cognate with Old Saxon hevild; akin to Old Norse hafald

Example Sentences

Holding a heddle rod to separate the warp threads, she draws the continuous horizontal weft thread in and out of one or more warp threads.

From Scientific American • Sep. 15, 2022

One form of the heddle was simply a straight stick having loops of cord or sinew through which certain of the warp threads were run.

From Textiles and Clothing by Watson, Kate Heintz

Napoleon’s blockade, which curtailed Great Britain’s importation of silk—needed not only for fabrics but also for making heddle strings for the looms—stimulated the production of cotton thread there.

From The Invention of the Sewing Machine by Cooper, Grace Rogers

The heddle is a row of twines, cords, or wires called leashes, which are stretched vertically between two horizontal bars or rods, placed about a foot apart.

From Home Life in Colonial Days by Earle, Alice Morse

The Greek loom may have been furnished with a heddle but the drawings are not clear on this point.

From Ancient Egyptian and Greek Looms by Roth, H. Ling (Henry Ling)