mercerize
[ mur-suh-rahyz ]
/ ˈmɜr səˌraɪz /
verb (used with object), mer·cer·ized, mer·cer·iz·ing.
to treat (cotton yarns or fabric) with caustic alkali under tension, in order to increase strength, luster, and affinity for dye.
Also
especially British,
mer·cer·ise.
Origin of mercerize
1855–60; named after John
Mercer (1791–1866), English calico printer, the patentee (1850) of the process; see
-ize
OTHER WORDS FROM mercerize
mer·cer·i·za·tion, noun mer·cer·iz·er, noun un·mer·cer·ized, adjectiveWords nearby mercerize
merced,
mercedes,
mercenary,
mercer,
mercer island,
mercerize,
mercery,
merch,
merchandise,
merchandising,
merchandize
Example sentences from the Web for mercerization
This was the beginning of the mercerization which to-day produces cotton fabrics almost as strong and handsome as if silk.
Inventors at Work |George IlesThe reactions and structural changes were investigated by J. Mercer, and are known generally as “mercerization.”
British Dictionary definitions for mercerization
mercerize
mercerise
/ (ˈmɜːsəˌraɪz) /
verb
(tr)
to treat (cotton yarn) with an alkali to increase its strength and reception to dye and impart a lustrous silky appearance
Derived forms of mercerize
mercerization or mercerisation, nounWord Origin for mercerize
C19: named after John
Mercer (1791–1866), English maker of textiles