Nap (textile) facts for kids

A cloth with a nap.

Nap is the raised (fuzzy) surface on cloth. Velvet in one of these clothes with nap. Nap can also mean a felt cloth.

In the 14th century, the word described the roughness of woven cloth before it was cut.

Piled nap

In the 15th century, the term nap refers to a pile given to the cloth. The word pile means the raised fibers that are there on purpose. They were put there, instead of vy producing the cloth. The nap is woven into the cloth, often by weaving loops into the fabric. The can then be cut or left on the cloth. Carpets, rugs, velvet, velour, and velveteen, are made by weaving a second yarn through woven cloth, making a nap or pile.