fiber

Almost all fabrics, muscle structures, and even vegetables are composed of some sort of fiber, the noun meaning a long, thread-like substance.

The word fiber is sometimes associated with moral character in a similar way that it is related to the physical material. The moral fiber of a person might be the thing that weaves together their character to make them the ethical (or unethical) person they are. For example, you might guess that the televangelist who asks for money from the elderly poor, but has a fancy sports car for every day of the week lacks moral fiber.

Primary Meanings of fiber

1.
 n
a slender and greatly elongated substance capable of being spun into yarn
2.
 n
coarse, indigestible plant food low in nutrients; its bulk stimulates intestinal peristalsis
Full Definitions of fiber
1

n a slender and greatly elongated substance capable of being spun into yarn

Synonyms:
fibre
Types:
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beard, byssus
tuft of strong filaments by which e.g. a mussel makes itself fast to a fixed surface
bristle
a stiff fiber (coarse hair or filament); natural or synthetic
glass fiber, glass fibre, optical fiber, optical fibre
a very thin fiber made of glass that functions as a waveguide for light; used in bundles to transmit images
nerve fiber, nerve fibre
a threadlike extension of a nerve cell
spindle
(biology) tiny fibers that are seen in cell division; the fibers radiate from two poles and meet at the equator in the middle
loofa, loofah, loufah sponge, luffa
the dried fibrous part of the fruit of a plant of the genus Luffa; used as a washing sponge or strainer
Cebu maguey, cantala, manila maguey
hard fiber used in making coarse twine; from Philippine agave plants
bassine
coarse leaf fiber from palmyra palms used in making brushes and brooms
coir
stiff coarse fiber from the outer husk of a coconut
raffia
fiber of a raffia palm used as light cordage and in making hats and baskets
string
a tough piece of fiber in vegetables, meat, or other food (especially the tough fibers connecting the two halves of a bean pod)
fibril, filament, strand
a very slender natural or synthetic fiber
lint
fine ravellings of cotton or linen fibers
man-made fiber, synthetic fiber
fiber created from natural materials or by chemical processes
natural fiber, natural fibre
fiber derived from plants or animals
oakum
loose hemp or jute fiber obtained by unravelling old ropes; when impregnated with tar it was used to caulk seams and pack joints in wooden ships
raveling, ravelling
a bit of fiber that has become separated from woven fabric
barb
one of the parallel filaments projecting from the main shaft of a feather
cobweb, gossamer
filaments from a web that was spun by a spider
chromatid
one of two identical strands into which a chromosome splits during mitosis
myofibril, myofibrilla, sarcostyle
one of many contractile filaments that make up a striated muscle fiber
medullated nerve fiber, myelinated nerve fiber
a nerve fiber encased in a sheath of myelin
effector
a nerve fiber that terminates on a muscle or gland and stimulates contraction or secretion
axon, axone
long nerve fiber that conducts away from the cell body of the neuron
dendrite
short fiber that conducts toward the cell body of the neuron
efferent fiber, motor fiber
a nerve fiber that carries impulses toward the muscles or glands
afferent fiber, sensory fiber
a nerve fiber that carries impulses toward the central nervous system
pandanus
fiber from leaves of the pandanus tree; used for woven articles (such as mats)
New Zealand cotton
a fiber from the bast of New Zealand ribbon trees that resembles cotton fiber
bowstring hemp
strong fiber that resembles hemp; obtained from sansevieria and used for e.g. cordage
rhizoid
any of various slender filaments that function as roots in mosses and ferns and fungi etc
hypha
any of the threadlike filaments forming the mycelium of a fungus
paraphysis
a sterile simple or branched filament or hair borne among sporangia; may be pointed or clubbed
bast, bast fiber
strong woody fibers obtained especially from the phloem of from various plants
animal fiber, animal fibre
fiber derived from animals
plant fiber, plant fibre
fiber derived from plants
acrylic, acrylic fiber
polymerized from acrylonitrile
nylon
a thermoplastic polyamide; a family of strong resilient synthetic fibers
staple, staple fiber, staple fibre
a natural fiber (raw cotton, wool, hemp, flax) that can be twisted to form yarn
Type of:
material, stuff
the tangible substance that goes into the makeup of a physical object

n a leatherlike material made by compressing layers of paper or cloth

Synonyms:
fibre, vulcanized fiber
Type of:
cloth, fabric, material, textile
artifact made by weaving or felting or knitting or crocheting natural or synthetic fibers

n any of several elongated, threadlike cells (especially a muscle fiber or a nerve fiber)

Synonyms:
fibre
Types:
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muscle cell, muscle fiber, muscle fibre
an elongated contractile cell that forms the muscles of the body
nerve fiber, nerve fibre
a threadlike extension of a nerve cell
striated muscle cell, striated muscle fiber
an elongated contractile cell in striated muscle tissue
smooth muscle cell
cells of the smooth muscles
medullated nerve fiber, myelinated nerve fiber
a nerve fiber encased in a sheath of myelin
effector
a nerve fiber that terminates on a muscle or gland and stimulates contraction or secretion
axon, axone
long nerve fiber that conducts away from the cell body of the neuron
dendrite
short fiber that conducts toward the cell body of the neuron
efferent fiber, motor fiber
a nerve fiber that carries impulses toward the muscles or glands
afferent fiber, sensory fiber
a nerve fiber that carries impulses toward the central nervous system
Type of:
cell
(biology) the basic structural and functional unit of all organisms; they may exist as independent units of life (as in monads) or may form colonies or tissues as in higher plants and animals

n the inherent complex of attributes that determines a persons moral and ethical actions and reactions

Synonyms:
character, fibre
Types:
spirit
a fundamental emotional and activating principle determining one's character
braveness, bravery, courage, courageousness
a quality of spirit that enables you to face danger or pain without showing fear
cowardice, cowardliness
the trait of lacking courage
Type of:
trait
a distinguishing feature of your personal nature
2

n coarse, indigestible plant food low in nutrients; its bulk stimulates intestinal peristalsis

Synonyms:
fibre, roughage
Types:
bran
food prepared from the husks of cereal grains
Type of:
food product, foodstuff
a substance that can be used or prepared for use as food

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