Fiber vs. Fabric — What's the Difference?

Natural fiber.

Performance fabric.

Synthetic fiber.

Woven fabric.

Filament fiber.

Knitted fabric.

Microfiber.

Non-woven fabric.

Staple fiber.

Blended fabric.

Fiber or fibre (from Latin: fibra) is a natural or man-made substance that is significantly longer than it is wide. Fibers are often used in the manufacture of other materials.

A cloth produced especially by knitting, weaving, or felting fibers.

A slender, elongated, threadlike object or structure.

The texture or quality of such cloth.

(Botany) One of the elongated, thick-walled cells that give strength and support to plant tissue.

A complex underlying structure

Any of the filaments constituting the extracellular matrix of connective tissue.

A method or style of construction.

Any of various elongated cells or threadlike structures, especially a muscle fiber or a nerve fiber.

A structural material, such as masonry or timber.

A natural or synthetic filament, as of cotton or nylon, capable of being spun into yarn.

A physical structure; a building.

Material made of such filaments.

An edifice or building.

An essential element of a person's character

(archaic) The act of constructing, construction, fabrication.

Strength of character; fortitude

(archaic) The structure of anything, the manner in which the parts of a thing are united; workmanship, texture, make.

Coarse, indigestible plant matter, consisting primarily of polysaccharides such as cellulose, that when eaten stimulates intestinal peristalsis. Also called bulk, roughage.

The physical material of a building.

(countable) A single elongated piece of a given material, roughly round in cross-section, often twisted with other fibers to form thread.

The framework underlying a structure.

(uncountable) A material in the form of fibers.

A material made of fibers, a textile or cloth.

(textiles) A material whose length is at least 1000 times its width.

The texture of a cloth.

Dietary fiber.

(petrology) The appearance of crystalline grains in a rock.

(figuratively) Moral strength and resolve.

(computing) Interconnected nodes that look like a textile fabric when diagrammed.

(mathematics) The preimage of a given point in the range of a map.

(transitive) To cover with fabric.

(category theory) The pullback of a morphism along a global element (called the fiber of the morphism over the global element).

The structure of anything; the manner in which the parts of a thing are united; workmanship; texture; make; as cloth of a beautiful fabric.

(computing) A kind of lightweight thread of execution.

That which is fabricated

(cytology) A long tubular cell found in bodily tissue.

Cloth of any kind that is woven or knit from fibers, whether vegetable, animal, or synthetic; manufactured cloth; as, silks or other fabrics; made of a fabric that is 50% cotton and 50% polyester.

One of the delicate, threadlike portions of which the tissues of plants and animals are in part constituted; as, the fiber of flax or of muscle.

The act of constructing; construction.

Any fine, slender thread, or threadlike substance; as, a fiber of spun glass; especially, one of the slender rootlets of a plant.

Any system or structure consisting of connected parts; as, the fabric of the universe.

The inherent complex of attributes that determine a person's moral and ethical actions and reactions; sinew; strength; toughness; as, a man of real fiber.

To frame; to build; to construct.

A general name for the raw material, such as cotton, flax, hemp, etc., used in textile manufactures.

Artifact made by weaving or felting or knitting or crocheting natural or synthetic fibers;

That portion of food composed of carbohydrates which are completely or partly indigestible, such as cellulose or pectin; it may be in an insoluble or a soluble form. It provides bulk to the solid waste and stimulates peristalsis in the intestine. It is found especially in grains, fruits, and vegetables. There is some medical evidence which indicates that diets high in fiber reduce the risk of colon cancer and reduce cholesterol levels in the blood. It is also called dietary fiber, roughage, or bulk.

The underlying structure;

A leatherlike material made by compressing layers of paper or cloth.

A slender and greatly elongated solid substance

The inherent complex of attributes that determine a persons moral and ethical actions and reactions;

A leatherlike material made by compressing layers of paper or cloth

A fiber is a thread-like material used as the smallest unit in making textiles.

Fibers are spun into yarns and then woven or knitted to form fabrics.

Woven fabric is made by interlacing yarns in a crosswise manner.

Knitted fabric is made by interlooping yarns together.

Fibers include natural fibers like cotton and wool, and synthetic fibers like polyester and nylon.

The choice of fiber affects fabric's texture, strength, and usability.

Properties can include strength, elasticity, and absorbency.

Fabric is a material made by combining fibers through weaving, knitting, or other techniques.

Synthetic fibers offer specific advantages like moisture resistance and durability.

Fabric is used for clothing, household furnishings, and various industrial applications.

Fabric is categorized based on the construction technique (woven, knitted, non-woven) and the materials used.