hank n : a coil of rope or wool or yarn

see Hank

English

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -æŋk

Noun

1. a coil or loop of something, especially twine, yarn, or rope
2. a metal ring attached to the end of a rope to allow it to slide or turn

Translations

• Japanese: 輪 (わ, wa) (1), 帆環 (はんかん, hankan) (2)

In the textile industry, a hank refers to a unit of yarn or twine that is in a coiled form. This is often the best form for use with hand looms, compared to the cone form needed for power looms. Hanks come in a fixed length depending on the type of material, so the term hank is sometimes used as a unit of measure. For instance, a hank of linen is 270 meters, and a hank of cotton or silk is 770 meters. In beads, 1 hank = 3.333 fathoms = 6.667 yards = 20 feet = 6096mm = 609.6cm = 6.096 meters.

References

• http://www.humanscape.org/Humanscape/new/may03/ishandloomdoomed.htm
• http://www.britannica.com/eb/article?tocId=9039147

animal fiber, artificial fiber, capillament, cilium, cirrus, cobweb, denier, fiber, fibrilla, filament, filamentule, flagellum, gossamer, hair, skein, strand, suture, tendril, thread, threadlet, web