Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A short fiber combed from long fibers during the preparation of textile yarns.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun One of the short pieces and knots of wool taken from the long staple in the process of combing.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun A short or waste piece or knot of wool separated from the longer staple by combing; also, a similar piece or shred of waste silk.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun A short fibre left over from combing wool or spinning silk during the preparation of textile yarns. Sometimes it is referred to as 'Raw Silk', although this is somewhat of a misnomer.

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Perhaps from Middle English *noil, from Old French noel, from Medieval Latin nōdellus, from Latin, diminutive of nōdus, knot; see node.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Perhaps from Middle English *noil, from Old French noel, from Medieval Latin nōdellus, from Latin, diminutive of nodus.

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Examples

  • There was a good deal of waste in this combing, that is, large clumps of tangled wool called noil were combed out.

    Home Life in Colonial Days Alice Morse Earle 1881

  • I think next time I will make it in some stripey seersucker, or maybe even in this silk noil I have lying around ...

    July 2008 2008

  • There's a skein of very fine silk noil yarn, and a pattern for a circular shawl with a front opening.

    October 2006 2006

  • I think next time I will make it in some stripey seersucker, or maybe even in this silk noil I have lying around ...

    Duro Junior - A Dress A Day 2008

  • There's a skein of very fine silk noil yarn, and a pattern for a circular shawl with a front opening.

    SAFF swag 2006

  • By the way, my silk noil outfit was the bee's knees over the weekend.

    retreat from retreat FUZZARELLY 2007

  • Üliliigutav taust - ning informatiivne, andes teadmised, milline oli Itaalia noil tinasteil aastail.

    tatsutahime Diary Entry tatsutahime 2007

  • Banish toe-numbing cabin temperatures with a silk noil blanket from DreamSack, complete with built-in pocket for your feet.

    Tip Sheet 2007

  • I have been trying to work up to sewing some clothing for quite awhile since I still have 45 yards of silk noil waiting and much of my current wardrobe is strangely shrinking.

    Archive 2007-06-07 FUZZARELLY 2007

  • Saturday, Shara came over and brought some silk, noil and habotai, which she wanted dyed.

    time off Holly 2004

Comments

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  • On the Neopets site, your Neopet could have a petpet, which come in different fantastical breeds from the larger Neopets. One was called a Noil, which was a cute, plushie-looking lion. (Noil is lion backwards.)

    April 11, 2022

  • Wouldn't a backwards lion have a butt for a face and roar out of its clacker? The world seems difficult sometimes.

    April 13, 2022