FIBER

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does fiber mean? 

• FIBER (noun)
  The noun FIBER has 5 senses:

1. a slender and greatly elongated substance capable of being spun into yarn

2. coarse, indigestible plant food low in nutrients; its bulk stimulates intestinal peristalsis

3. any of several elongated, threadlike cells (especially a muscle fiber or a nerve fiber)

4. the inherent complex of attributes that determines a persons moral and ethical actions and reactions

5. a leatherlike material made by compressing layers of paper or cloth

  Familiarity information: FIBER used as a noun is common.

 Dictionary entry details 

• FIBER (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A slender and greatly elongated substance capable of being spun into yarn

Classified under:

Nouns denoting substances

Synonyms:

fiber; fibre

Hypernyms ("fiber" is a kind of...):

material; stuff (the tangible substance that goes into the makeup of a physical object)

Meronyms (substance of "fiber"):

cellulose (a polysaccharide that is the chief constituent of all plant tissues and fibers)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "fiber"):

raveling; ravelling (a bit of fiber that has become separated from woven fabric)

oakum (loose hemp or jute fiber obtained by unravelling old ropes; when impregnated with tar it was used to caulk seams and pack joints in wooden ships)

natural fiber; natural fibre (fiber derived from plants or animals)

man-made fiber; synthetic fiber (fiber created from natural materials or by chemical processes)

lint (fine ravellings of cotton or linen fibers)

fibril; filament; strand (a very slender natural or synthetic fiber)

string (a tough piece of fiber in vegetables, meat, or other food (especially the tough fibers connecting the two halves of a bean pod))

raffia (fiber of a raffia palm used as light cordage and in making hats and baskets)

coir (stiff coarse fiber from the outer husk of a coconut)

bassine (coarse leaf fiber from palmyra palms used in making brushes and brooms)

cantala; Cebu maguey; manila maguey (hard fiber used in making coarse twine; from Philippine agave plants)

loofa; loofah; loufah sponge; luffa (the dried fibrous part of the fruit of a plant of the genus Luffa; used as a washing sponge or strainer)

spindle ((biology) tiny fibers that are seen in cell division; the fibers radiate from two poles and meet at the equator in the middle)

nerve fiber; nerve fibre (a threadlike extension of a nerve cell)

glass fiber; glass fibre; optical fiber; optical fibre (a very thin fiber made of glass that functions as a waveguide for light; used in bundles to transmit images)

bristle (a stiff fiber (coarse hair or filament); natural or synthetic)

beard; byssus (tuft of strong filaments by which e.g. a mussel makes itself fast to a fixed surface)

Derivation:

fibrous (having or resembling fibers especially fibers used in making cordage such as those of jute)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Coarse, indigestible plant food low in nutrients; its bulk stimulates intestinal peristalsis

Classified under:

Nouns denoting foods and drinks

Synonyms:

fiber; roughage

Hypernyms ("fiber" is a kind of...):

food product; foodstuff (a substance that can be used or prepared for use as food)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "fiber"):

bran (food prepared from the husks of cereal grains)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Any of several elongated, threadlike cells (especially a muscle fiber or a nerve fiber)

Classified under:

Nouns denoting body parts

Synonyms:

fiber; fibre

Hypernyms ("fiber" is a kind of...):

cell ((biology) the basic structural and functional unit of all organisms; they may exist as independent units of life (as in monads) or may form colonies or tissues as in higher plants and animals)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "fiber"):

muscle cell; muscle fiber; muscle fibre (an elongated contractile cell that forms the muscles of the body)

nerve fiber; nerve fibre (a threadlike extension of a nerve cell)

Sense 4

Meaning:

The inherent complex of attributes that determines a persons moral and ethical actions and reactions

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Synonyms:

character; fiber; fibre

Context example:

education has for its object the formation of character

Hypernyms ("fiber" is a kind of...):

trait (a distinguishing feature of your personal nature)

Meronyms (parts of "fiber"):

thoughtfulness (the trait of thinking carefully before acting)

responsibility; responsibleness (a form of trustworthiness; the trait of being answerable to someone for something or being responsible for one's conduct)

integrity (moral soundness)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "fiber"):

spirit (a fundamental emotional and activating principle determining one's character)

Holonyms ("fiber" is a part of...):

personality (the complex of all the attributes--behavioral, temperamental, emotional and mental--that characterize a unique individual)

Sense 5

Meaning:

A leatherlike material made by compressing layers of paper or cloth

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Synonyms:

fiber; fibre; vulcanized fiber

Hypernyms ("fiber" is a kind of...):

cloth; fabric; material; textile (artifact made by weaving or felting or knitting or crocheting natural or synthetic fibers)

 Context examples 

This allele, which encodes B2 bradykinin receptor protein, plays a role in the initiation of several different biological responses including, vasodilation, edema, smooth muscle spasm and pain fiber stimulation.

(BDKRB2 wt Allele, NCI Thesaurus)

The ganglia also contain intrinsic neurons and supporting cells and preganglionic fibers passing through to other ganglia.

(Autonomic Ganglion, NLM, Medical Subject Headings)

Patients develop physical and cognitive impairments that correspond with the affected nerve fibers.

(Multiple Sclerosis, NCI Thesaurus)

The epithalamus is generally considered to include the habenular nuclei (HABENULA) and associated fiber bundles, the PINEAL BODY, and the epithelial roof of the third ventricle.

(Murine Epithalamus, NLM, Medical Subject Headings)

Hypothalamus is an important supervisory center in the brain, rich in ganglia, nerve fibers, and synaptic connections.

(Murine Hypothalamus, NCI Thesaurus)

If you disturb asbestos, the fibers can float in the air.

(Asbestos, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry)

The white myelinated fibers in the hippocampus adjacent to the wall of the lateral ventricle.

(Alveus, NCI Thesaurus)

If they partly block your intestines, a diet low in fiber can allow food to move easily through the affected area.

(Adhesions, NIH: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)

A group of minerals that take the form of tiny fibers.

(Asbestos, NCI Dictionary)

Did I not always see some hard fiber in her nature?

(The Lost World, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)