handloom

[ hand-loom ]

noun

1. a loom operated manually, in contrast to a power loom.

Word History and Origins

Origin of handloom¹

First recorded in 1825–35; hand + loom ¹

Example Sentences

"This innovation in handmade carpets is not to disrupt the essence of artistic carpets, it's just to speed up the process - designs being available now at a speed," says Mehmood Shah, the director of Handloom & Handicrafts for the government of Jammu and Kashmir.

From BBC

In western India, many young people are leaving soul-killing routines in factories to return to handloom weaving, which allows them to control their schedules while providing a creative outlet.

From Scientific American

“We’re all volunteering, and it just shows what a group of concerned citizens can do. We’ll probably get 100 masks out today,” said Paul, whose company, Indigo Handloom, is partnering with community members, including City College of San Francisco’s fashion department, to increase mask production.

From Reuters

“Early 19th-century handloom weavers and those employed in the cotton spinning mills were victims of periodic trade slumps, when large numbers would be thrown out of work, to be rehired weeks later as and when trade picked up and the manufacturers needed more workers. Remind you of the gig economy and the so-called precariat?”

From The Guardian

The piece presents Jhabvala at her acid best, in a viciously observed sketch of Delhi high society: the Oxbridge-educated hostess is attired in “handloom saris and traditional jewelry,” “trays of iced drinks are carried around by servants in uniform, and there is intelligent conversation, and then there is a superbly arranged buffet supper and more intelligent conversation.”

From The New Yorker