fibre

[ fahy-ber ]

noun

, Chiefly British.

1. a variant of fiber.

fibre

/ ˈfaɪbə /

noun

1. a natural or synthetic filament that may be spun into yarn, such as cotton or nylon
2. cloth or other material made from such yarn
3. a long fine continuous thread or filament
4. the structure of any material or substance made of or as if of fibres; texture
5. essential substance or nature

   all the fibres of his being were stirred

6. strength of character (esp in the phrase moral fibre )
7. See dietary fibre
   See dietary fibre
8. botany
   1. a narrow elongated thick-walled cell: a constituent of sclerenchyma tissue
   2. such tissue extracted from flax, hemp, etc, used to make linen, rope, etc
   3. a very small root or twig
9. anatomy any thread-shaped structure, such as a nerve fibre

Derived Forms

• ˈfibred, adjective
• ˈfibreless, adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of fibre¹

C14: from Latin fibra filament, entrails

Example Sentences

The process would be able to produce wood and fibre in a lab environment, and researchers have already demonstrated how it works in concept by growing simple structures using cells harvested from zinnia leaves.

From TechCrunch

You will hardly know who I am or what I mean, But I shall be good health to you nevertheless, And filter and fibre your blood.

From The Daily Beast

The length of the fibre, moreover, cannot be determined with any absolute certainty from the thickness of the vein.

From Project Gutenberg

The fibre can be separated with great facility, though firmly attached at one end to the parent rock.

From Project Gutenberg

Pete, after spewing the last hateful molecule away, reversed his tiny fibre engines, and began to draw in.

From Project Gutenberg

Gwynne awoke one morning with an irresistible desire for The Town in every fibre of his being.

From Project Gutenberg

When the respiratory elements and fibre have not been separated, the sum of the two is given.

From Project Gutenberg