The Collaborative International Dictionary
Hemp \Hemp\ (h[e^]mp), n. [OE. hemp, AS. henep, h[ae]nep; akin to D. hennep, OHG. hanaf, G. hanf, Icel. hampr, Dan. hamp, Sw. hampa, L. cannabis, cannabum, Gr. ka`nnabis, ka`nnabos; cf. Russ. konoplia, Skr. [,c]a[.n]a; all prob. borrowed from some other language at an early time. Cf. Cannabine, Canvas.]
(Bot.) A plant of the genus Cannabis ( Cannabis sativa), the fibrous skin or bark of which is used for making cloth and cordage. The name is also applied to various other plants yielding fiber.
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The fiber of the skin or rind of the plant, prepared for spinning. The name has also been extended to various fibers resembling the true hemp.
African hemp, Bowstring hemp. See under African, and Bowstring.
Bastard hemp, the Asiatic herb Datisca cannabina.
Canada hemp, a species of dogbane ( Apocynum cannabinum), the fiber of which was used by the Indians.
Hemp agrimony, a coarse, composite herb of Europe ( Eupatorium cannabinum), much like the American boneset.
Hemp nettle, a plant of the genus Galeopsis ( Galeopsis Tetrahit), belonging to the Mint family.
Indian hemp. See under Indian, a.
Manila hemp, the fiber of Musa textilis.
Sisal hemp, the fiber of Agave sisalana, of Mexico and Yucatan.
Sunn hemp, a fiber obtained from a leguminous plant ( Crotalaria juncea).
Water hemp, an annual American weed ( Acnida cannabina), related to the amaranth.
Manila hemp \Manila hemp\ n.
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A fibrous material obtained from the abaca plant ( Musa textilis), a plant allied to the banana, growing in the Philippine and other East India islands; -- called also by the native name abaca. From it matting, canvas, ropes, and cables are made.
Syn: Manilla hemp, abaca.
A Philippine plant ( Musa textilis) having leafstalks that yield Manila hemp used for rope and paper etc.; called also the abaca.
Wikipedia
Manila hemp is a type of buff-colored fiber obtained from Musa textilis, a relative of edible bananas, which is also called Manila hemp as well as abacá. It is mostly used for pulping for a range of uses, including speciality papers. It was once used mainly to make manila rope, but this is now of minor importance. Abacá is an exceptionally strong fibre, nowadays used for special papers like teabag tissue. It is also very expensive, priced several times higher than woodpulp. Manila envelopes and manila paper take their name from this fibre.
It is not actually hemp, but named so because hemp was long a major source of fiber, and other fibers were sometimes named after it. The name refers to the capital of the Philippines, one of the main producers of Manila hemp.
The hatmaking straw made from Manila hemp is called Tagal or Tagal straw.
Usage examples of "manila hemp".
Scotty pointed at drying racks on which Manila hemp fiber, product of the abaca, was drying.
Hank Peters woke up in the early hours of the next morning from a dream of huge rats crawling out of an open grave, a grave which held the green and rotting body of Hubie Marsten, with a frayed length of manila hemp around his neck.