retted

The work of van Tieghem, van Senus, Fribes, Omeliansky and others has now shown that while certain anaerobic bacteria decompose the substance of the middle lamella -- chiefly pectin compounds -- and thus bring about the isolation of the cellulose fibres when, for instance, flax is steeped or "retted," they are unable to attack the cellulose itself.

Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 3, Part 1, Slice 2 "Baconthorpe" to "Bankruptcy" Various

They are then "retted," or beaten, and the fibre is removed.

Commercial Geography A Book for High Schools, Commercial Courses, and Business Colleges 1895

The flax was then "retted," either by laying it on the ground and turning it over or placing it in water.

News from www.pantagraph.com 2009

This only works with well-retted fibers and it produces a lot of dust and waste fibers, which has made cottonized flax too expensive to compete directly with cotton in the textile industry, even though flax fibers are 50 percent more absorbent than cotton, making flax clothing extremely comfortable in hot weather.

Just the flax, ma'am ewillett 2008

The retted straw is next threaded through fluted rollers that break the stems but only kink the fibers.

Just the flax, ma'am ewillett 2008

From my bedroom, I looked out over our large garden (roses and vegetables) and the Lys river, which at that particular point separates France from Belgium and was where the flax was retted in tanks then dried in little bundles in a field

Yves Chauvin - Autobiography 2006

Lighter, resilient boards are made in the same way, but with addition of retted pith (low density, highly-elastic granular material)

4. Innovative technologies related to recycling of materials 1995

The difference in reactivity between retted and fresh husks necessitates different methods of conversion into building materials.

4. Innovative technologies related to recycling of materials 1995

He stood panting like an animal, his loins aching, and watched in furious despair while she retted the drawstring, shoved her skirts down over her long, shapely legs, yanked up her chemise, and hastily refastened her bodice.

Captives Of The Night Chase, Loretta 1994

Already, in Kyushu, where Sun Hsiung sent Akiko for the next phase of her training, the farmers were hard at work atop stained wooden ladders, spinning delicate cocoons of retted linen gauze over their precious trees to keep them from winter's harsh hand.

The Miko Lustbader, Eric 1984