A single, continuous strand of textile material that can run for thousands of meters without a break. Silk is the only natural filament, unspooled directly from a cocoon, while synthetic materials like nylon and polyester are extruded as continuous filaments. Because they lack the short ends of staple fibers, yarns made from these strands are exceptionally smooth, strong, and lustrous.
Heard on the job
The extruder is jamming, causing breaks in the nylon filament before it hits the spool.
Do not mix it up with
- Fiber: Fiber is the general term for any textile strand, while filament specifically refers to a continuous strand that does not need to be spun from short pieces.