dewretting

from The Century Dictionary.

• noun The exposure of hemp or flax to the action of dew by spreading it on grass, to render easier the separation of the fiber from the feculent matter. Also dew-rotting, dew-softening.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

• noun Dewrotting; the process of decomposing the gummy matter of flax and hemp and setting the fibrous part, by exposure on a sward to dew, rain, and sunshine.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

• noun The process of decomposing the gummy matter of flax and hemp and setting the fibrous part, by outdoor exposure, to dew, rain, and sunshine.