Frieze (textile)

In the history of textiles, frieze (French: frisé) is a Middle English term for a coarse woollen, plain weave cloth with a nap on one side. The nap was raised by scrubbing it to raise curls of fibre,^[1] and was not shorn after being raised, leaving an uneven surface.

The term frieze can also be used for the curly nap frieze fabrics have, as well as the action of raising the nap,^[2] which differs from standard methods. Today, frieze is also a term applied to a textile technique used in modern machine-loomed carpeting, as well as the textile produced. Carpets made with this technique are known for their resilience, due to a high twist rate, outperforming standard cut or loop pile carpets.

^ British History On-Line; the idea that it was made of Frisian wool is an etiological attempt at an etymology.
^ Cite error: The named reference OED was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[1] British History On-Line; the idea that it was made of Frisian wool is an etiological attempt at an etymology.

[OED-2] Cite error: The named reference OED was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

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