Manila hemp

American  

noun

1. a fibrous material made from the leafstalks of the abacá, Musa textilis, used for making ropes, fabrics, etc.

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Manila hemp British  

noun

1. a fibre obtained from the plant abaca, used for rope, paper, etc

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Etymology

Origin of Manila hemp

First recorded in 1850–55

Example Sentences

Manila hemp comes from abaca, a plant much like the one bananas grow on.

From Time Magazine Archive

The stalk contains 10-20% of a fiber that is superior to cotton and linen intensile strength, second only to Manila hemp.

From Time Magazine Archive

One Philippine product, however, connects the islands with almost all the rest of the world, namely, Manila hemp.

From Wealth of the World's Waste Places and Oceania by Gilson, Jewett Castello

Manila hemp is the product of a species of banana.

From The New Gresham Encyclopedia. Vol. 1 Part 3 Atrebates to Bedlis by Various

More than fifteen million dollars worth of Manila hemp is sold yearly.

From Wealth of the World's Waste Places and Oceania by Gilson, Jewett Castello