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Gauze

 
Sci-Tech Dictionary: gauze
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(göz)

(materials) A sheer, loosely woven textile fabric similar to cheesecloth; used for surgical dressings. A plastic or wire mesh.

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For the Japanese band, see Gauze (band). For the album by Dir en grey, see Gauze (album).
Gauze

Gauze is a thin, translucent fabric with a loose open weave.

Contents

Etymology

Gauze was traditionally woven in Palestine and the etymology of the English word derives from the place name for Gaza (Arabic: غزة‎ ghazza), a center of weaving in the region.[1][2] Despite a prohibition on trade with non-Christians from religious authorities in medieval Europe, a fine type of silk known as gazzatum was imported from Gaza as early as the 13th century.[3] Though members of religious orders in Europe were forbidden to wear it, the fabric won a place for itself and emerged into modern life as gauze.[3] Hence also the French: gaze, and the Spanish: gasa.[4]

Uses and types

Gauze was originally made of silk and was used for clothing. It is now used for many different things, including gauze sponges for medical purposes. When used as a medical dressing, gauze is generally made of cotton. It is especially useful for dressing wounds where other fabrics might stick to the burn or laceration. Many modern medical gauzes are covered with a plastic porous film such as Telfa or a polyblend which prevents direct contact and further minimizes wound adhesion. In film and theatre, gauze is often fashioned into a scrim.

Modern gauze is also made of synthetic fibers, especially when used in clothing. It can also be made of metal, such as a wire gauze placed on top of a Bunsen burner, used in a safety lamp or spark arrestor, or used as a fence.

See also

References

  1. ^ Skeat, 1993, p. 172.
  2. ^ McCarthy et al., 1997, p. 30.
  3. ^ a b Garrison, 2008, p. 261.
  4. ^ Taylor, 2005, p. 288.

Bibliography

External links

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Sci-Tech Dictionary. McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms. Copyright © 2003, 1994, 1989, 1984, 1978, 1976, 1974 by McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.  Read more
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