textile, any filament, fibre, or yarn that can be made into fabric or cloth, and the resulting material itself. The term is derived from the Latin textilis and the French texere, meaning “to weave,” and it originally referred only to woven fabrics. It has, however, come to include fabrics produced by other methods.

Textiles are made from fiber, which is formed into yarn, thread, natural silk, rayon, metal wire, etc. These items are knit or woven together, on their own or in combination with other types of fiber, to create textiles. Wool fiber may be spun into yarn, which is then used in creating textiles.

Without all of these technical textiles, food production would be less reliable. People also need clothes and blankets to stay warm. Without natural and synthetic fibers, shingles and other types of building materials could not be made, influencing the type of shelters built.