The Woolen Archive
Reference

Wool & Fibre Glossary

The language of wool is older than most of the industries it clothes. Long before micron counts and laboratory staple testing, shepherds and spinners described a fleece by its feel — its handle — by the way it caught the light, by the tightness of its crimp and the length of its staple. The Woolen Archive's glossary gathers those terms in one place so that anyone reading a breed profile, a spinning recipe or a yarn label can follow the conversation.

Understanding a handful of concepts unlocks most of what the archive has to offer. Micron, the millionth of a metre that measures fibre diameter, is the single most important number in wool: below 19 microns a fleece feels luxuriously soft next to the skin, while robust 35-micron wools make hard-wearing carpets and tweeds. Staple length governs how a fibre is spun; crimp gives yarn its bounce and elasticity; lustre determines whether a cloth glows or sits matte. Lanolin, the natural wax secreted by the sheep's skin, protects the living fleece and finds a second life in soaps, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals.

Beyond the fibre itself, the glossary reaches into the life of the flock — the difference between a ewe and a wether, a hogg and a gimmer, a kemp and a medulla. These words, many of them regional or centuries old, are the working vocabulary of shepherding, and keeping them in print is part of the Archive's purpose. Browse the terms below, cross-referenced to the breeds and sources where they matter most.

Fibre

Crimp
Crimp is the natural wave or zigzag along a wool fibre. High crimp gives yarn elasticity, loft and warmth; it is most pronounced in fine-wool breeds such as the Merino.
Merino— Oklahoma State University Breeds of Livestock
Kemp
Kemp is a short, coarse, brittle fibre that does not dye evenly and is removed during processing. It occurs in some primitive and carpet-wool breeds.
Soay— Oklahoma State University Breeds of Livestock
Lanolin
Lanolin is the greasy wax secreted by a sheep's sebaceous glands to waterproof and protect the fleece. Refined from washed wool, it is used in soaps, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals.
— FAO Animal Genetic Resources
Lustre
Lustre is the soft sheen of light reflected along the surface of a wool fibre. Long-staple lustrous wools such as Lincoln and Wensleydale take dye beautifully and drape well.
Lincoln— British Wool Marketing Board
Micron
A micron (μm) is one-millionth of a metre and the standard unit for measuring wool fibre diameter. Finer microns mean softer, lighter wool; the finest Merinos measure under 12 μm.
Merino— Australian Wool Innovation — micron explained
Staple
A staple is a naturally occurring cluster of wool fibres, shorn together as a lock. Staple length, measured in centimetres, determines how a fleece is spun and the character of the resulting yarn.
— The Textile Institute — textile terms

Husbandry

Ewe
A ewe is a female sheep, typically one that has reached breeding age and borne a lamb. Ewes form the productive heart of every breeding flock.
— Oxford English Dictionary
Gimmer
A gimmer is a young female sheep, usually between her first and second winter, before she has lambed.
— Suffolk Sheep Society glossary
Hogg
A hogg (or hogget) is a young sheep from weaning up to its first shearing; the term also describes the meat of a sheep under a year old.
— National Sheep Association (UK)
Wether
A wether is a castrated male sheep, usually raised for meat. Wethers are docile and finish well on pasture.
— Oxford English Dictionary

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