fiber

[ fahy-ber ]

noun

1. a fine, threadlike piece, as of cotton, jute, or asbestos.
2. a slender filament:

   a fiber of platinum.

3. filaments collectively.
4. matter or material composed of filaments:

   a plastic fiber.

5. something resembling a filament.
6. an essential character, quality, or strength:

   people of strong moral fiber.

7. Botany.
   1. filamentous matter from the bast tissue or other parts of plants, used for industrial purposes.
   2. a slender, threadlike root of a plant.
   3. a slender, tapered cell which, with like cells, serves to strengthen tissue.
8. Anatomy, Zoology. a slender, threadlike element or cell, as of nerve, muscle, or connective tissue.
9. Nutrition. Also called bulk, dietary fiber, roughage.
   1. the structural part of plants and plant products that consists of carbohydrates, as cellulose and pectin, that are wholly or partially indigestible and when eaten stimulate peristalsis in the intestine.
   2. food containing a high amount of such carbohydrates, as whole grains, fruits, and vegetables.
10. Chemistry. vulcanized fiber.
11. Optics. optical fiber.

fiber

/ ˈfaɪbə /

noun

1. the usual US spelling of fibre

fiber

/ fī′bər /

1. The parts of grains, fruits, and vegetables that contain cellulose and are not digested by the body. Fiber helps the intestines absorb water, which increases the bulk of the stool and causes it to move more quickly through the colon.
2. One of the elongated, thick-walled cells, often occurring in bundles, that give strength and support to tissue in vascular plants. Fibers are one type of sclerenchyma cell.
3. Any of the elongated cells of skeletal or cardiac muscle, made up of slender threadlike structures called myofibrils.
4. The axon of a neuron.

Other Words From

• fiber·less adjective
• inter·fiber adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of fiber¹

1350–1400; 1970–75 fiber fordef 9; Middle English fibre (< Middle French ) < Latin fibra filament

Example Sentences

The animal tissue consumed is typically muscle, which has a distinctive shape made from fibers of protein that are bundled together with connective tissue.

From Salon

Foods that are high in fat, proteins and fiber can help to stave off hunger for a while.

From Salon

Food researchers from the University of Copenhagen have now invented a "disguise" that solves the problem of the dry and gritty mouth feel of fibers.

From Science Daily

These signals get transmitted through the granule cells' axons -- their arm-like extension, known as mossy fibers.

From Science Daily

"You can't put a filter on the environment the way you might have a filter on your household dryer to capture these fibers," said Vlachos, who also directs the Delaware Energy Institute.

From Science Daily

Related Words

• grain
• thread
• tissue