Heddle
noun, verb ·Rare ·Advanced level
Definitions
- 1 A component in a loom, being one of a number of similar components, through the eye of each of which a distinct strand of the warp is threaded.
"The only other table, generally used by operative weavers, is that for setting the heddles, so as to correspond with the reed. Few weavers are in possession of a sufficient variety of heddles, to suit every reed in which they may be employed to weave cloth."
- 2 One of the sets of parallel doubled threads which, with mounting, compose the harness employed to guide the warp threads to the lathe or batten in a loom.
- 1 To thread each strand of the warp through the eye of a heddle.
"After each frame has been heddled, stand upright within easy reach until the full set has been completed."
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
More examples"The only other table, generally used by operative weavers, is that for setting the heddles, so as to correspond with the reed. Few weavers are in possession of a sufficient variety of heddles, to suit every reed in which they may be employed to weave cloth."
Etymology
From Middle English helde, from Old English hefeld, from the root of Proto-Germanic *habjaną (“to have, heave”), from Proto-Indo-European *kap-. Cognate with Old Saxon hevild, Middle Low German hevelte, Icelandic hafald.
Related phrases
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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.