the world > textiles and clothing > textiles > textile manufacture > treating or processing textile materials > treating or processing flax, hemp, or jute > treat or process flax, hemp, or jute [verb (transitive)] > other (3)
A verb applied to one of the operations in preparing flax for spinning.
transitive. To dry (hemp or flax).
transitive. To reduce (flax, hemp, etc.) to a short staple resembling cotton. Cf. flax-cotton n. at flax, n. compounds 2a.