Page 29 - Bob Holtzman "The Field Guide to Knots How to Identify.."

Part One

Rope and Knot Basics

Anatomy and Taxonomy

Everyone knows what “rope,” “string,” and “cord” mean, even if the exact
definitions and distinctions between these types of cordage or “stuff” (the
most general and inclusive terms) can be a little fuzzy. Even professional
ropeworkers and riggers differ sometimes in their use of terminology.

Nonetheless, the following definitions are generally accepted:

Fiber: the smallest component from which cordage is made. In a natural fiber
rope, it would be the hair-thin stuff, more or less, as it comes from the plant, like
a fiber from a cotton boll or coconut husk. In synthetic rope, it’s a single
filament of nylon, polypropylene, or similar material.

Yarn: made from twisted fibers; often about the diameter of sewing thread.

Strand: made from twisted yarns. Most laid ropes consist of three strands
twisted together. This book also uses strand in a non-technical sense in the knot-
tying instructions, to distinguish one section of a rope or knot from another, as in
“take the left strand of the crossing turn and cross it over the right strand.”

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