Word forms: plural fibresregional note: in AM, use fiber
1. countable noun
A fibre is a thin thread of a natural or artificial substance, especially one that is used to make cloth or rope.
If you look at the paper under a microscope you will see the fibres.
...a variety of coloured fibres.
Synonyms: thread, strand, filament, tendril More Synonyms of fibre
2. variable noun
A particular fibre is a type of cloth or other material that is made from or consists of threads.
The ball is made of rattan–a natural fibre.
3. uncountable noun
Fibre consists of the parts of plants or seeds that your body cannot digest. Fibre is useful because it makes food pass quickly through your body.
Most vegetables contain fibre.
4. countable noun
A fibre is a thin piece of flesh like a thread which connects nerve cells in your body or which muscles are made of.
...the nerve fibres.
5.
See with every fibre of your being
6. See also moral fibre
More Synonyms of fibre
fibre in British English
or US fiber (ˈfaɪbə)
noun
1.
a natural or synthetic filament that may be spun into yarn, such as cotton or nylon
2.
cloth or other material made from such yarn
3.
a long fine continuous thread or filament
4.
the structure of any material or substance made of or as if of fibres; texture
5.
essential substance or nature
all the fibres of his being were stirred
6.
strength of character (esp in the phrase moral fibre)
7. dietary fibre
8. botany
a.
a narrow elongated thick-walled cell: a constituent of sclerenchyma tissue
b.
such tissue extracted from flax, hemp, etc, used to make linen, rope, etc
c.
a very small root or twig
9. anatomy
any thread-shaped structure, such as a nerve fibre
Derived forms
fibred (ˈfibred) or US fibered (ˈfibered)
adjective
fibreless (ˈfibreless) or US fiberless (ˈfiberless)
adjective
Word origin
C14: from Latin fibra filament, entrails
fibre in American English
(ˈfaɪbər)
noun
British
fiber
Examples of 'fibre' in a sentence
fibre
Both can weaken the fibres and make garments prone to tearing along the creases.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Nowadays, most socks have at least some natural fibre in them.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
But he's also a man of moral fibre.
The Sun (2016)
The firm is considering a carbon fibre body for those buyers who insist.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
They are part of my very nerves and fibre of my being.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
Heavy users should consider a fibre optic broadband supplier.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
It is far better to get your fibre from the foods you eat.
Holford, Patrick The Family Nutrition Workbook (1988)
This makes the disc fibres more susceptible to injury.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
Their soluble fibre content also slows down glucose absorption.
Holford, Patrick The Family Nutrition Workbook (1988)
Present in grain dietary fibres other than bran.
Mayes, Adrienne The Dictionary of Nutritional Health (1986)
One of the biggest problems with society is the lack of moral fibre.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
This is a starchy food which contains natural fibre.
Wallace, Louise M & Bundy, Christine Coping with Angina (1990)
Most cars are aluminium or carbon fibre.
The Sun (2014)
The condition is caused by dodgy nerve fibres that work when she chews.
The Sun (2009)
Heat is used to make the fibres lock together.
Chapman, C. & Horsley, M. & Small, E. Technology Basic Facts (1990)
The beans contain soluble fibre and will keep you feeling full for hours.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
Each section of the wing is built in carbon fibre.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
But the tiny time gap may have been down to a dodgy connection in a fibre optic cable.
The Sun (2012)
Eat fruit and vegetables and foods high in fibre but low in red and processed meat and salt.
The Sun (2015)
This means that eating a diet rich in soluble fibre may help to lower cholesterol as well as the risk of cancer.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
The fabric consists of densely packed threads of an artificial fibre invented in the 1960s.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
You haven't a rebellious fibre in your body.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
These are sources of dietary fibre, which helps protect against heart disease.
MacEoin, Beth Healthy By Nature (1994)
We must rely on the moral fibre of our farmers to consider the well-being of the consumer.
Lashford, Stephanie The Residue Report - an action plan for safer food (1988)
The long fibres that give structure to a nappy's core will find new life in biodegradable plant pots.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
Or, worse still, cotton holds sway supported by an alliance of artificial fibres bound together in forced coalition.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
In other languages
fibre
British English: fibre /ˈfaɪbə/ NOUN
A fibre is a thin thread of a natural or artificial substance, especially one used to make cloth or rope.
If you look at the paper under a microscope you will see the fibres.
American English: fiber
Arabic: لِيْف
Brazilian Portuguese: fibra
Chinese: 纤维
Croatian: vlakno
Czech: vlákno
Danish: fiber
Dutch: vezel
European Spanish: fibra
Finnish: kuitu
French: fibre
German: Faser
Greek: ίνα
Italian: fibra
Japanese: 繊維
Korean: 섬유
Norwegian: fiber
Polish: włókno
European Portuguese: fibra
Romanian: fibră
Russian: волокно
Latin American Spanish: fibra
Swedish: fiber
Thai: เส้นใย
Turkish: lif
Ukrainian: волокно
Vietnamese: sợi
All related terms of 'fibre'
fibre-tip
a pen having a writing point made from pressed fibres
fibre optic
using or consisting of very thin flexible fibres of glass down which information modulated on light is carried
glass fibre
Glass fibre is another name for → fibreglass .
moral fibre
Moral fibre is the quality of being determined to do what you think is right.
nerve fibre
a threadlike extension of a nerve cell; axon
pita fibre
any of several agave plants yielding a strong fibre
acrylic fibre
a textile fibre, such as Orlon or Acrilan , produced from acrylonitrile
carbon fibre
a black silky thread of pure carbon made by heating and stretching textile fibres and used because of its lightness and strength at high temperatures for reinforcing resins , ceramics , and metals, esp in turbine blades and for fishing rods
dietary fibre
fibrous substances in fruits and vegetables , such as the structural polymers of cell walls, consumption of which aids digestion and is believed to help prevent certain diseases
fibre optics
Fibre optics is the use of long thin threads of glass to carry information in the form of light.
muscle fibre
any of the numerous elongated contractile cells that make up striated muscle
optical fibre
An optical fibre is a very thin thread of glass inside a protective coating . Optical fibres are used to carry information in the form of light.
fibre-tip pen
a pen having a writing point made from pressed fibres
man-made fibre
a type of fibre that is made artificially, such as polyester or rayon , rather than occurring naturally , like cotton or wool
fibre optic cable
A cable is a thick wire, or a group of wires inside a rubber or plastic covering, which is used to carry electricity or electronic signals.
high-fibre diet
a diet which contains a lot of fibre, supposed to help keep your digestive system healthy
with every fibre of your being
If you say that you feel something with every fibre of your being , you mean that you feel it very deeply.
felt pen
a pen having a writing point made from pressed fibres
felt-tip pen
a pen having a writing point made from pressed fibres
fiber-tip
a pen having a writing point made from pressed fibres
fiber-tip pen
a pen having a writing point made from pressed fibres
Chinese translation of 'fibre'
fibre
or (US) fiber
(ˈfaɪbəʳ)
n
(c) (= thread) 纤(纖)维(維) (xiānwéi)
(c/u) (= cloth) 纤(纖)维(維)制(製)品 (xiānwéi zhìpǐn)
(u) (= roughage) 纤(纖)维(維)质(質) (xiānwéizhì)
(c) (Anat, = tissue) 纤(纖)维(維) (xiānwéi)
1 (noun)
Definition
a threadlike animal or plant tissue
a variety of coloured fibres
Synonyms
thread
a hat embroidered with golden threads
strand
high fences, topped by strands of barbed wire
filament
Some models use a carbon filament.
tendril
pile
the carpet's thick pile
texture
staple
wisp
She smoothed away a wisp of hair from her eyes.
fibril
2 (noun)
Definition
a natural or synthetic thread that may be spun into yarn
Cotton is a natural fibre.
Synonyms
cloth
She covered the tray with a piece of cloth.
material
the thick material of her skirt
stuff
fabric
small squares of red cotton fabric
3 (noun)
Definition
essential substance or nature
Synonyms
essence
Some claim that Ireland's very essence is expressed through its language.
quality
The pretentious quality of the poetry.
nature
The protests had been non-political in nature.
spirit
the real spirit of the revolutionary movement
substance
The substance of his discussions doesn't really matter.
4 (noun)
Definition
a fibrous substance that helps the body digest food
Eat more fibre, less sugar and less fat.
Synonyms
roughage
bulk
idiom
See moral fibre
Additional synonyms
in the sense of fabric
Definition
any cloth made from yarn or fibres by weaving or knitting
small squares of red cotton fabric
Synonyms
cloth,
material,
stuff,
textile,
web
in the sense of filament
Definition
a single strand of fibre
Some models use a carbon filament.
Synonyms
strand,
string,
wire,
fibre,
thread,
staple,
wisp,
cilium,
fibril,
pile
in the sense of material
Definition
cloth
the thick material of her skirt
Synonyms
cloth,
stuff,
fabric,
textile
Synonyms of 'fibre'
fibre
Explore 'fibre' in the dictionary
Additional synonyms
in the sense of nature
Definition
fundamental or essential qualities
The protests had been non-political in nature.
Synonyms
quality,
character,
make-up,
constitution,
attributes,
essence,
traits,
complexion,
features
in the sense of pile
Definition
the fibres in a fabric that stand up or out from the weave, such as in carpeting or velvet
the carpet's thick pile
Synonyms
nap,
fibre,
down,
hair,
surface,
fur,
plush,
shag,
filament
in the sense of quality
Definition
the basic character or nature of something
The pretentious quality of the poetry.
Synonyms
nature,
character,
constitution,
make,
sort,
kind,
worth,
description,
essence
in the sense of spirit
the real spirit of the revolutionary movement
Synonyms
heart,
sense,
nature,
soul,
core,
substance,
essence,
lifeblood,
quintessence,
fundamental nature
in the sense of strand
Definition
one of the individual fibres of string or wire that form a rope, cord, or cable
high fences, topped by strands of barbed wire
Synonyms
filament,
fibre,
thread,
length,
lock,
string,
twist,
rope,
wisp,
tress
in the sense of stuff
Definition
substance or material
Synonyms
material,
fabric,
cloth,
textile,
raw material
in the sense of substance
Definition
the essential meaning of a speech, thought, or written article
The substance of his discussions doesn't really matter.