Adjective Dyes. Dyes which require mordant.

Alizarin. The chief colouring principle of madder. It is also the name for an extensive series of chemical colours produced from anthracene, one of the coal tar hydrocarbons discovered in 1868.

Aniline. Discovered 1826 (anil. Span. indigo). First prepared from indigo by means of caustic potash, found in coal, 1834. Manufactured on a large scale after Perkin's discovery of mauve in 1856.

Annatta. (Annotto, Arnotto, Roucou.) A dye obtained from the pulp surrounding the seeds of the Bixa orellana; chiefly used in dyeing silk an orange colour, but is of a fugitive nature.

Argol. The tartar deposited from wines completely fermented, and adhering to the sides of casks as a hard crust. When purified it becomes Cream of Tartar.

Beck. A large vessel or tub used in dyeing.

Bois jaune. Fustic, yellow wood.

Carthamus. Safflower, an annual plant cultivated in South Europe, Egypt and Asia, for the red dye from its flowers.

Caustic Soda. Carbonate of soda, boiled with lime.

Coal Tar Colours. Colours obtained by distillation and chemical treatment from coal tar, a product of coal during the making of gas. There are over 2,000 colours in use.

Detergent. A cleansing agent.

Dip. Generally applied to immersing cloth, etc., in the blue vat.

Divi-Divi. The dried pods of Caesalpina coriaria growing in the West Indies and S. America; they contain 20 to 35% tannin and a brown colouring matter.

Dyer's Spirit. Aqua fortis, 10 parts; sal ammoniac, 5 parts; tin, 2 parts; dissolved together.

Enter. To enter wool, to put it into the dye or mordant liquor.

Fenugrec. Fenugreek Trigonnella fÆnugrÆcum.

Flavin. A colouring matter extracted from Quercitron.

Full, to. To treat or beat cloth for the purpose of cleansing and thickening it.

Fuller's herb. Saponaria officinalis. A plant used in the process of fulling.

Fuller's Thistle, or teasle. Dipsacus fullonum. Used for fulling cloth.

Fustet. Young fustic. Venetian Sumach Rhus cotinus. It gives a fine orange colour, which has not much permanence.

Galls, Gall nuts. Oak galls produced by the egg of an insect,—the female gall wasp. An excrescence is produced round the egg, and the insect, when developed, pierces a hole and escapes. Those gall nuts which are not pierced contain most tannic acid. The best come from Aleppo and Turkey.

Gramme or Gram. About 15-1/2 grains (Troy).

Kilo. Kilogramme. Equals 2lbs. 3.2oz.

Litre. Nearly 1-3/4 pints.

Lixivitation. The process of separating a soluble substance from an insoluble by the percolation of water.

Lixivium. (Lye.) A term often used in old dye books, water impregnated with alkaline salts extracted by lixivitation from wood ashes.

Lye or Ley. Any strong alkaline solution, especially one used for the purpose of washing such as soda lye, soap lye.

Mercerised Cotton. Cotton prepared by treating with a solution of caustic potash or soda or certain other chemicals. Discovered by John Mercer in 1844.

Milling. The operation of fulling cloth.

Myrobalans. The fruit of several species of trees, growing in China and the East Indies, containing tannic acid (25-40% tannin).

Oil of Vitriol. Sulphuric acid.

Organzine. Twisted raw silk from best cocoons, used for warp.

Pearl Ash. Carbonate of potash.

Persian Berries. The dried unripe fruit of various species of Rhamnus. Also called French berries, grains of Avignon.

Potassium Carbonate. (Potashes.) Carbonate of potash has been known since ancient times as a constituent of the ashes of land plants, from which it is obtained by extraction with water. In most cases Sodium Carbonate, which it strongly resembles, can be used in its place.

Red spirits. Tin Spirits. Applied to tin mordants generally. A solution of Stannous chloride.

Red woods. Camwood, Barwood, Sanderswood (Santal, Sandal, Red Sanders), Brazil wood, Sapan wood, Peach-wood.

Roucou. Anatta, Arnotto.

Saxon blue. The dye made by indigo dissolved in oil of vitriol.

Scotch ell. 37.2 inches.

Scour, to. To wash.

Scroop. The rustling property of silk.

Soda ash. Carbonate of soda.

Sour water. To every gallon of water, add one gill vitriol; stir thoroughly. Stuff steeped in this should be covered with the liquor, otherwise it will rot.

Staple. A term applied to cotton and wool indicating length of fibre.

Substantive Dye. A dye not requiring a mordant.

Sumach. Leaves and twigs of several species of Rhus, containing tannic acid. It is sold in the form of crushed leaves or as a powder (15-20% tannin).

Tram. Slightly twisted raw silk, used for weft.

Tyrian purple. A purple colour obtained from certain shell fish, such as Buccinum and Purpura. It is mentioned by Pliny as being discovered in 1400 b.c. It was a lost art in the Middle Ages.

Valonia. Acorn cups of certain species of oak from South Europe, containing 25-35% of tannic acid.

Vegetable alkali. Potash.

Verdigris. Acetate of copper.

Wet out, to. To damp before putting the yarn or cloth into the dye.