Rope
Description
A strong, thick cord made from either natural or synthetic fibers. Ropes are composed of three to six yarns that are plied then twisted or braided. In ancient Egypt, ropes were made from reeds or palm date palm fibers. Ancient ropes were also made from flax, grass, grass esparto grass, hemp, sisal, coir, cotton, jute, papyrus, and hair camel hair. Up to 1850, most ropes were made from hemp or sisal. After this point, abaca and agave became the fibers of choice. By the 1950s, synthetic fibers (fiber nylon, fiber rayon, fiber saran, fiber polyester, etc.) became predominant. fiber Glass and fiber metallic fibers have also been incorporated into ropes for added strength and resistance to fire and chemicals.
Synonyms and Related Terms
cord; cable; twine; cuerda (Esp.)
Authority
- G.S.Brady, G.S.Brady, Materials Handbook, McGraw-Hill Book Co., New York, 1971 Comment: p. 236
- Hoechst Celanese Corporation, Hoechst Celanese Corporation, Dictionary of Fiber & Textile Technology (older version called Man-made Fiber and Textile Dictionary, 1965), Hoechst Celanese Corporation, Charlotte NC, 1990
- E.J.LaBarre, E.J.LaBarre, Dictionary and Encyclopedia of Paper and Paper-making, Swets & Zeitlinger, Amsterdam, 1969
- Van Nostrand's Scientific Encyclopedia, Douglas M. Considine (ed.), Van Nostrand Reinhold, New York, 1976
- A.Lucas, J.R.Harris, A.Lucas, J.R.Harris, Ancient Egyptian Materials and Industries, Edward Arnold Publishers Ltd., London, 4th edition, 1962
- The American Heritage Dictionary or Encarta, via Microsoft Bookshelf 98, Microsoft Corp., 1998
- Art and Architecture Thesaurus Online, http://www.getty.edu/research/tools/vocabulary/aat/, J. Paul Getty Trust, Los Angeles, 2000