To remove size (a starch-based coating) from fabric or yarn during the textile finishing process.
From 'de-' (to remove) + 'size' (a starch paste used in weaving), this technical textile term emerged in the 19th century as industrial manufacturing developed.
The sizing you remove from new clothes in the laundry is exactly what weavers deliberately add during manufacturing—it keeps threads stiff and prevents tangling—so 'desizing' is how fabric becomes soft and wearable!
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