Material made by weaving, knitting, or bonding fibers together, used to make clothes and other items. It can also mean the basic structure of something, like the “fabric of society.”
From Latin “fabrica” meaning “workshop” or “a thing made,” from “faber” meaning “worker” or “smith.” It originally referred to the act of making or building before narrowing to woven materials.
“Fabric” is related to words about making and building, which is why we also talk about the “fabric” of a building or a community. Language remembers that cloth was once seen as a major piece of human technology, not just something for shirts.
Textiles and fabric work have historically been feminized, with women doing much of the spinning, weaving, and sewing, often undervalued or unpaid. At the same time, industrial textile production and trade networks were often controlled and narrated by men.
Use “fabric” neutrally and avoid implying that textile work is naturally women’s work.
Women’s expertise in fabric production and design has underpinned clothing, art, and domestic economies across cultures, frequently without formal recognition.
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