The Warp Is the Threads That Wait on the Loom
To warp is to bend out of shape. In weaving the warp is the lengthwise thread.
To warp is to bend or twist out of shape; in weaving, the warp is the set of lengthwise threads held on the loom. The two connect through the older sense of throwing or stretching: the warp threads are stretched taut before weaving begins, and warping a loom means setting them up. Wood warps when it twists out of its stretched, straight form. The weft is the thread passed across them, from *weave*, and the two words are not interchangeable.
- To bend out of shape. *The door warped.*
- Lengthwise threads. *The warp and weft.*
- To distort. *A warped view.*
- Weft — the crosswise thread. *The weft.*
- Old English — *weorpan*, to throw. *The source.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb | warp | Warping. |
| Noun | warp | The warp. |
| Past | warped | Warped. |
| Related | weft | The weft. |
| Old English | weorpan | To throw. |
- The board warped in the damp.Bending.
- The warp and weft of the cloth.Weaving.
- A warped sense of humour.Figurative.
Warp and weft
- Warp — lengthwise threads held taut on the loom
- Weft — the thread passed across them, also called the woof
- Warping — the task of setting up the loom
- The warp bears the tension; the weft does the crossing
- The warp and weft of something means its underlying structure
Old English *weorpan*, to throw, with the weaving sense from stretching threads on a loom.
What is the difference between warp and weft?
The warp runs lengthwise and is held taut on the loom; the weft is passed across it.
Why does wood warp?
Because it absorbs and loses moisture unevenly, causing it to twist out of a straight shape.