twill

Etymology

PIE word *dwóh₁ From Middle English twyll, twylle, from Old English twilic (“two-threaded”), a partial calque of Latin bilix, bilic-, from bis (“twice”) + licium (“thread”).

noun

1. (weaving">weaving) A pattern, characterised by diagonal ridges, created by the regular interlacing of threads of the warp and weft during weaving">weaving.
   The twill weave is always given a direction; a right-hand twill is one in which the twill line runs from bottom left to top right and a left-hand twill is one in which the twill line runs from bottom right to top left. The angle of the twill is determined by the amount of shift in the points of interlacing. 1973, P. R. Lord, M. H. Mohamed, Weaving: Conversion of Yarn to Fabric, 2nd edition, page 167
   Industrial uses of twill fabrics are mainly restricted to simple twills and only simple twills are described here. Broken twills, waved twills, herringbone twills and elongated twills are extensively used for suiting and dress fabrics. 2000, Walter S. Sondhelm, “4: Technical fabric structures - 1. Woven fabrics”, in A. Richard Horrocks, Subhash C. Anand, editors, Handbook of Technical Textiles, page 68
   Herringbone fabrics are a twill variation having the twill line reversed at regular intervals. 2002, Dianne Rose Jackman, Mary K. Dixon, Jill Condra, The Guide to Textiles for Interiors, page 98
2. A cloth or portion of cloth woven in such a pattern.
   Plain cotton twills, such as canvas, sailcloth, and denim, in mediumweight fabrics, can be a good choice for informal rooms that receive considerable wear and tear, such as rec rooms, dens, playrooms, or children's bedrooms. 2006, Mark Montano, Carly Sommerstein, Window Treatments and Slipcovers For Dummies, page 33

verb

1. (transitive) To weave (cloth, etc.) so as to produce the appearance of diagonal lines or ribs on the surface.