| MATERIAL |
DESCRIPTION |
ACID | Any substance that dissociates in water to yield a sour corrosive solution containing hydrogen ions; having a pH of less than seven and turning litmus red |
| ACRYLIC |
A synthetic polymer which is made from acrylates or acrylic acid. It has
been used to create solid sheets of plastic, thin films, textile fabrics and
paints |
ACRYLIC PAINT | A fast-drying paint made of pigment suspended in acrylic polymer emulsion |
|
ADOBE |
Clay-like material from which sun-dried bricks are made |
| ALABASTER |
Fine-grained usually white, opaque or translucent variety of gypsum used
for statues and vases etc; a variety of hard semi-translucent calcite, often
banded like marble |
| ALLOY |
Metallic material, such as steel, brass or bronze, consisting of two or
more metals or metallic elements with non-metallic elements |
| ALLUM |
A colourless chemical compound that has been used to size paper and
dress leather. Also known as rosin size |
| ALUMINIUM |
Light, malleable, ductile silvery-white metallic element that resists
corrosion |
|
AMBER |
Hard yellow or yellowish-brown translucent fossil resin derived from
extinct coniferous trees |
| AMMONIA |
Colourless, pungent, highly soluble gas, mainly used in the manufacture
of fertilisers, nitric acid and other nitrogenous compounds and as a
refrigerant and solvent |
| ASBESTOS |
Any of the fibrous amphibole and serpentine minerals; it is widely used
in fabric or board form as a heat-resistant structural material |
| BAKELITE |
Any one of a class of thermosetting resins; used as electric insulators
and for making plastic ware |
| BALSA WOOD | Very light wood of the Bombacaceous tree |
| BAMBOO |
Any tall tree-like tropical or semi-tropical fast-growing grass of the
genus Bambusa, with hollow wooded stems and ringed joints |
BARK | The tough protective outer sheath of the trunk, branches, and twigs of a tree or woody shrub. |
| BARKCLOTH |
Papery fabric made from the fibrous inner bark of the paper mulberry or
a similar tree |
| BASALT |
Fine-grained, dark, basic igneous rock |
| BEECHWOOD |
Any temperate tree of the genus Fagus (family Fagaceae) especially F.
sylvatica of Europe, with a smooth greyish bark |
| BIRCH |
Hard, close-grained wood of betulaceous trees or shrubs |
| BLACKWOOD |
A tall Australian Acacia tree; a highly valued dark timber |
| BOXWOOD |
The hard, close-grained, yellow wood of the box tree, particularly Buxus
sempervirens, used to make tool handles and small, turned or carved articles |
| BRASS |
Alloy of copper and zinc containing more than 50% copper |
BRICK | A small rectangular block typically made of fired or sun-dried clay, used in building |
| BRISTLE |
Any short, stiff hair of an animal or plant, such as that on a pig’s
back |
| BRITANNIA METAL | Alloy of low-melting point, consisting of tin with 5–10% antimony, 1–3%
copper and sometimes small quantities of zinc, lead or bismuth; used for
decorative purposes and for bearings |
| BRONZE |
Hard water-resistant alloy consisting of copper and smaller proportions
of tin and sometimes zinc and lead |
| CALICO |
White or unbleached cotton fabric, with no printed design |
| CAMBRIC |
Fine, white linen or cotton fabric |
| CANE |
The long, jointed pithy or hollow and flexible stem of bamboo, rattan or
similar plants |
| CARBON |
Non-metallic element existing in the three allotropic forms – amorphous
carbon, graphite and diamond; e.g., a rod or plate made of carbon, used in
some types of battery |
CARDBOARD | A pasteboard or stiff paper |
| CAST IRON | Iron containing so much carbon that it must be cast, not wrought, into
shape |
| CEDAR |
Any old world coniferous tree of the genus Cedrus; made of the wood of a
cedar tree |
| CELLOPHANE |
Thin transparent sheeting made from wood pulp and used as a
moisture-proof wrapping |
| CELLULOSE ACETATE |
A synthetic compound which is produced using a cellulose starting
material, a combination of acetic compounds, additives and solvents. It has
been used to make solid plastic objects, textile fibres as well as
photographic and cinematic film |
| CELLULOSE NITRATE |
Transparent sheet on which film is prepared, as in cinema; flammable
thermoplastic material of cellulose nitrate and a plasticiser, usually
camphor; used in sheets, rods and tubes for making a range of articles |
| CEMENT |
Fine, grey powder of calcined limestone and clay, used with water and
sand to make mortar, or with water, sand and aggregate to make concrete |
| CERAMIC |
Material made by firing clay and similar substances |
| CHALK |
Soft, fine-grained, white sedimentary rock, consisting of nearly pure
calcium carbonate |
| CHAMBRAY |
Light fabric of cotton or gingham, with white weft and a coloured warp |
| CHAMOIS |
Soft suede leather, formerly made from the hide of an animal, and now
obtained from the skins of sheep and goats |
| CHARCOAL (ARTWORKS) |
A black, carbonaceous material which is usually mixed with resin or wax |
| CHEMICAL |
Any substance used in or resulting from a reaction involving changes to
atoms and molecules |
| CHIFFON |
Fine, transparent or almost transparent plain-weave fabric of silk,
nylon, etc |
| CHINA |
Ceramic ware of a type originally from China; any porcelain or similar
ware |
| CHINTZ |
Printed, patterned cotton fabric, with glazed finish; painted or stained
Indian calico |
| CHIPBOARD |
Thin, rigid sheet made of compressed wood particles bound with a
synthetic resin |
| CHROME |
A hard, grey metallic element (chromium) that takes a high polish,
occurring principally in chromite; used in steel alloys and electro-plating
to increase hardness and corrosion-resistance |
| CHROMIUM STEEL |
Another name for ‘chrome steel’ |
| CLAY |
Very fine-grained material consisting of hydrated aluminium silicate,
quartz and organic fragments, occurring as sedimentary rock, soil and other
deposits |
| COAL |
Compact, black or dark brown carbonaceous rock |
| COATED
PAPER |
Paper coated with adhesives, pigments and/or clay to impart smoothness,
opacity or gloss |
| CONCRETE |
Building material made of cement, sand, aggregate and water mixture that
hardens as it dries |
| COPPER |
Malleable, ductile, reddish metallic element |
| CORAL |
Hard red, pink or white calcareous substance secreted by various marine
polyps for support and habitation |
| CORDUROY |
Heavy cotton-pile, ribbed fabric |
| CORK |
Thick, light, porous outer bark of the cork oak, used widely as stoppers
for bottles, casks and the like |
| CORRUGATED IRON |
A thin sheet made of iron or steel, formed with alternating ridges and
troughs |
COTTON | A soft usually white fibrous substance composed of the hairs surrounding the seeds of various erect freely branching tropical plants (genus Gossypium) of the mallow family |
| CRAYON |
A small stick or pencil of charcoal, wax, clay or chalk mixed with
pigment |
| CREPE |
Light fabric with a fine ridged or crinkled surface |
| CREPE DE CHINE |
Very thick crepe of silk or a similar light fabric |
| CRYSTAL |
Solid substance, such as quartz, with a regular shape in which plain
faces intersect at definite angles |
| DAMASK |
Reversible fabric, usually silk or linen, with a pattern woven into it |
| DIAMOND |
Usually colourless, exceptionally hard allotropic form of carbon in
cubic crystalline form; precious stone also used for industrial cutting and
abrading |
| DOWN |
Soft, fine feathers with free barbs that cover the body of a bird and
prevent loss of heat |
| EBONY |
Hard, dark wood derived from the tree of the Ebenaceae family |
| EMULSION |
A combination of liquids that do not emulsify (combine) well |
|
ENAMEL |
Coloured glassy substance, translucent or opaque, fused to the surfaces
of metal, glass etc; used to ornament or protect |
FAT | A natural or oily substance occurring in animal bodies, used in the production of soaps and other products |
| FELT |
Matted fabric of wool, hair etc, made by working the fibres together
under pressure or by heat or chemical action |
| FIBRE |
Natural or synthetic filament; can be spun into yarn, such as cotton or
nylon |
| FIBREBOARD |
Building board made by hot-pressing a mass of wood or other vegetable
fibres; woody fibres felted or bonded by natural wood lignin resins, not by
cement or adhesives |
| FIBREGLASS |
Material of matted fine-glass fibres, used as insulation in buildings,
fireproof fabrics etc |
| FILM |
Thin flexible strip of cellulose coated with a photographic emulsion,
used to make negatives and transparencies |
| FOAM |
Light, cellular solid made by creating bubbles of gas in liquid material
and solidifying it |
| FOIL |
Metal in the form of a very thin sheet; gold foil |
FORMICA | A hard durable plastic laminate used for worktops, cupboard doors and other surfaces |
| GAUZE |
Transparent cloth of loose, plain muslin or similar fabric |
| GELATINE |
A translucent collagen based material derived from animal sources. It is
used as the image carrying emulsion binder in the creation of photographs |
| GESSO |
White ground or plaster, used especially in the Middle Ages and
renaissance to prepare panels or canvas for painting or gilding; Plaster of
Paris or gypsum |
| GLASS |
Hard, brittle, usually transparent non-crystalline solid, consisting of
metal silicates or similar compounds |
| GLAZE |
Vitreous or glossy coating |
| GLYCERINE |
Colourless or pale-yellow, odourless, sweet-tasting syrup; a byproduct
of soap manufacture, used as a solvent, antifreeze, plasticiser and sweetener |
| GOLD |
Dense inert bright yellow element that is the most malleable and ductile
metal, occurring in rocks and alluvial deposits |
| GOLD LEAF |
Wafer-thin gold sheet with a thickness between about 0.076 and 0.127
micrometre, produced by rolling or hammering gold and used for gilding |
| GOLD PLATE |
A thin coating of gold, usually produced by electro-plating |
| GOUACHE |
An opaque, water based, matte paint composed of ground pigments and
plant-based binders |
GRANITE | A very hard, granular, crystalline, igneous rock consisting mainly of quartz, mica, and feldspar, and often used as a building stone |
| GRAPHITE |
Blackish, soft allotropic form of carbon in hexagonal crystalline form |
GRASS | Vegetation consisting of typically short plants with long, narrow leaves, growing wild or cultivated on lawns and pasture, and as a fodder crop |
| GUM |
Any of various sticky substances exuded from certain plants, hardening
on exposure to air and dissolving or forming a viscous mass in water |
HAIR | Any of the fine threadlike strands growing from the skin of humans, mammals, and some other animals |
| HARDBOARD |
Thin, stiff sheet made of compressed sawdust and wood chips, bound
together with plastic adhesive or resin under heat and pressure |
| HEMP |
Fibres of hemp plant, used to make canvas, rope etc |
| HESSIAN |
Coarse jute fabric similar to sacking, used for bags and upholstery |
| HIDE |
Skin of an animal, especially the tough, thick skin of a large mammal,
either tanned or raw |
| HORN |
Permanent outgrowths on the heads of animals such as cattle and
antelopes, consisting of a central bony core covered with layers of keratin |
| HORSEHAIR |
Hair taken chiefly from the tail or mane of a horse, used in upholstery
and for fabrics etc |
| HUON PINE |
Large, coniferous tree, Dacrydium franklinii, found in Tasmania and
valued for its pale-yellow timber |
| IRON |
Malleable, ductile, silvery-white ferro-magnetic, metallic element
occurring principally in haemalite and magnetite |
| IVORY |
Hard, smooth, creamy-white variety of dentine comprising the major part
of elephant tusks |
| JADE |
Semi-precious stone consisting of either jadeite or nephrite, varying in
colour from white to green and used in making ornaments and jewellery |
| JAPAN |
Glossy, durable black lacquer used on wood, metal and similar materials |
| JARRAH |
Australian eucalyptus tree, Eucalyptus marginata, that yields a valuable
timber |
| JUTE |
Herbaceous plant such as Corchorus capsularis cultivated for its strong
fibre, used in making sacks, rope etc |
| KAPOK |
Silky fibre from the hairs covering the seeds of a tropical bombacaceous
tree |
| LACE |
Delicate decorative fabric, often made from cotton or silk, woven in an
open web of patterns and figures |
| LACQUER |
Hard glossy coating made by dissolving cellulose derivatives or natural
resins in a volatile solvent |
| LAMÉ |
Fabric of silk, cotton or wool interwoven with threads of metal |
| LAMPAS |
Ornate damask-like cloth of cotton or silk and cotton, used in
upholstery |
| LEAD |
Graphite or a mixture containing graphite, clay etc, used for drawing; a
heavy, toxic, bluish-white metallic element in alloys, accumulators, cable
sheaths, paints and used as a radiation shield |
LEAF | A flattened structure of a higher plant, typically green and blade-like, that is attached to a stem directly or via stalk |
| LEATHERETTE |
Trademark product that is an imitation leather, made from paper, cloth
etc |
| LIGNUM VITAE |
Heavy resinous wood used in machine bearings, casters etc |
| LINEN |
Hard-wearing fabric woven from the spun fibres of flax |
| LINOLEUM |
Sheet material made of hessian, jute etc, coated under pressure and heat
with a mixture of powdered cork, linseed oil, rosin and pigment, used as a
floor covering |
| LUREX |
Trademark product of thin aluminium thread coated with plastic fabric
containing such thread |
MAGNET | A piece of iron or other material which has its component atoms so ordered that the material exhibits properties of magnetism, such as attracting other iron-containing objects or aligning itself in an external magnetic field |
| MAGNETIC TAPE |
Long, narrow plastic strip coated with iron oxide, used to record sound
or video signals or to store information in computers |
| MAHOGANY |
Chiefly from the tree Swietenia mahogoni (family Meliaceae) from the
West Indies and Central America, valued for its hard, fine-grained
reddish-brown wood often used in furniture; also used more generically when
timbers have these qualities |
| MAPLE |
Any tree or shrub of the northern temperate genus Acer; the hard,
close-grained wood of these trees is often used for furniture and flooring |
| MARBLE |
Hard, crystalline, metamorphic rock resulting from the
re-crystallisation of a limestone; takes a high polish and is used for
building and sculpture |
| MASONITE |
Fibreboard trade name for tempered hardboard invented by William H.
Mason and marketed by Masonite Ltd; tempered hardboards are impregnated with
a polymer drying oil and are resistant to hard wear and weather; see also
fibreboard |
| MERCURY |
Heavy, silvery-white, toxic liquid-metallic element occurring
principally in cinnabar; used in thermometers, barometers and mercury-vapour
lamps |
| METHYLATED SPIRITS |
Alcohol that has been denatured by the addition of methanol, pyridine
and a violet dye |
| MICA |
Any of a group of lustrous rock-forming minerals, which due to their
resistance to electricity and heat are used as dielectrics in heating
elements |
| MICROFILM |
Strip of film on which books, newspapers, documents etc can be recorded
in miniaturised form |
| MIXED MEDIA | Used to describe an artwork composed from a conbination of different
media or materials |
| MOIRE |
Fabric, usually silk, having a watered effect |
| MOQUETTE |
A thick velvety fabric used for carpets, upholstery and the like |
| MOROCCO |
Fine, soft leather made from goatskin and used, for example, for
bookbinding and shoes |
| MORTAR |
Mixture of cement and/or lime with sand and water, used to bond bricks
or stones and as a wall covering |
| MOTHER OF PEARL |
Hard iridescent substance, mostly calcium carbonate, that forms the
inner layer of certain mollusc shells, such as the oyster; it is used for
buttons and to inlay furniture and is also called ‘nacre’ |
| MULGA |
Any of various Australian Acacia shrubs which yields brown or yellow
timber |
| MUSLIN |
Fine, plain-weave cotton fabric |
| NEWSPAPER |
Inexpensive wood-pulp paper |
| NICKEL PLATE |
Thin layer of nickel deposited on a surface, usually by electrolysis |
| NICKEL SILVER |
Any of various white alloys containing copper, zinc and nickel used in
making tableware and the like, also called ‘German silver’ |
| NICKEL |
Malleable, ductile, silvery-white metallic element that is strong and
corrosion resistant |
| NYLON |
A class of synthetic polyamide materials; yarn or cloth made of nylon |
| OAK |
Any deciduous or evergreen tree or shrub of the genus Quercus, having
acorns as fruit and lobed leaves; used especially as building and
furniture-making timber |
| OCHRE |
Any of various natural earths containing ferric oxide, silica and
alumina; used as yellow and red |
| OIL PAINT |
A paint comprised of pigments in oil which dries on exposure to air |
| ONION SKIN |
A glazed translucent paper |
| OPAL |
Amorphous form of hydrated silicon dioxide that is colourless, or of
variable colour, and translucent; found in sedimentary and volcanic rocks and
in deposits from hot springs in America and Australia |
| ORGANZA |
Thin fabric of silk, cotton, nylon or rayon |
| ORMOLU |
Gold-coloured alloy of copper, tin or zinc used to decorate, for
example, furniture and mouldings; gold prepared for use in gilding |
| PAINT |
A substance used to coat a surface which is usually comprised of a
pigment, binder and solvent |
| PAMPAS GRASS |
Any of various larger grasses of the South American genus Cortaderia and
related genera |
| PAPER |
Material manufactured in thin sheets from the pulp of wood or other
fibrous substances, used for writing, drawing, printing on, or as wrapping
material |
| PAPIER MACHE |
A malleable mixture of paper and glue, or paper, flour and water, that
becomes hard when dry, used to make boxes, trays or ornaments |
| PAPYRUS |
A tall aquatic plant, Cyperus papyrus is part of the sedge family |
| PARCHMENT |
Skin of certain animals, such as sheep, treated to form a durable
material once used for bookbinding and manuscripts |
| PARTICLE
BOARD |
Panel made of particles, wafers or sawdust, rather than fibres, and
combining with a resin binder can be moulded to shape; see also
fibreboard |
| PASTE |
Hard shiny glass used for making imitation gems; also known as ‘strass’ |
| PASTEL |
A substance composed of pigments mixed with resin or gum |
| PEARL |
Hard, smooth, lustrous and typically rounded nugget on the inner surface
of a clam or oyster shell and much valued as a gem; any artificial gem
resembling this |
| PENCIL |
An instrument for writing or drawing, consisting of a thin stick of
graphite or a similar substance enclosed in a long thin piece of wood or
fixed in a cylindrical case |
| PERSPEX |
Trademark of various clear acrylic resins, used chiefly as a substitute
for glass |
| PETERSHAM |
Thick corded ribbon used to stiffen belts and skirt/trouser waists;
heavy woollen fabric used, for example, for coats |
| PEWTER |
Any of various alloys containing tin (80–90%), lead (10–20%) and
sometimes small amounts of metals such as copper and antimony |
| PIGMENT |
Substance occurring in plant or animal tissue; any substance used to
impart colour |
| PINE |
Any evergreen resinous coniferous tree of the genus Pinus |
| PIPE CLAY |
A fine, white pure clay used in the manufacture of tobacco pipes and
pottery and for whitening leather and similar materials |
| PITCH |
Any of various heavy dark viscid substances obtained as a residue from
the distillation of tars |
| PLANT FIBRE |
Fibres from often long-leafed plants, typically used to create fabrics,
hats, rope, basketry and other materials |
| PLASTER |
A smooth paste, usually made of sand, lime and water, used to form a
hard surface when dried and also to make sculptures |
| PLASTER OF PARIS |
A quick-setting gypsum plaster consisting of a fine white powder which
hardens when moistened and allowed to dry, used for casts and moulds |
| PLASTIC |
A synthetic material made from a wide range of organic polymers such as
polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride, nylon, etc, that can be molded into shape
while softm and then set into a rigid or slightly elastic form |
| PLASTICINE |
A soft, synthetic material, used as a substitute for clay or wax in
modelling |
| PLASTICISER |
A substance (typically a solvent) added to a synthetic resin to produce
or promote plasticity and flexibility and reduce brittleness |
| PLYWOOD |
A type of strong wooden board consisting of two or more thin layers of
wood veneer, glued and pressed together with the direction of the grain
alternating |
| POLYESTER |
A generalised term for any fabric or textile which is made using
polyester yarns or fibres |
| POLYETHYLENE |
A plastic polymer of ethylene, mainly used for containers, electrical
insulation and packaging |
| POLYPROPYLENE |
A synthetic resin which is a polymer of propylene, mainly used for
films, fibres or moulding materials |
| POLYSTYRENE |
A light-weight, usually white synthetic resin which is a polymer of
styrene, mainly used as lightweight, rigid foams and films |
| POLYVINYL CHLORIDE |
A tough, chemically resistant synthetic plastic polymer made by
polymerising vinyl chloride, mainly used for industrial products including
pipes, flooring and sheeting |
| POPLIN |
A sturdy fabric made with wool, cotton, silk, rayon or any mixture of
these, in plain weave with fine cross ridding, typically used for clothing
and upholstery |
| PORCELAIN |
A strong, vitreous, translucent material, biscuit-fired at a low
temperature, the glaze then fired at a very high temperature |
| PUMICE |
A very light and porous rock formed when a gas-rich froth of glassy lava
solidifies rapidly |
| QUARTZ |
A hard mineral, consisting of silicon dioxide, occuring in colourless
and transparent or coloured hexagonal crystals or in crystalline masses |
| QUARTZITE |
An extremely compact, hard, granular rosk consisting essentially of
quartz |
| RAFFIA |
A string-like material made from palm leaves, used to make baskets,
hats, mats and the like |
| RATTAN |
The thin, jointed stems of a palm, used to make furniture |
| RAYON |
A generalised term for any of a group of smooth textile fibres made from
regenerated cellulose |
| REED |
Any of various tall grasses with slender often prominently jointed
stems, used in making thatch or household items |
| RIBBON |
A long, narrow strip of closely woven fabric, used for tying something
for decoration |
| ROCK |
Mineral matter of variable composition, consolidated or unconsolidated,
assembled in masses or considerable quantities in nature |
| ROLLED GOLD |
A base metal, such as brass, with a thin plate of gold rolled over it |
| ROSEWOOD |
Close-grained timber from various tropical trees (especially genus
Dalbergia), with a distinctive fragrance, used particularly for making
furniture and musical instruments |
| RUBBER |
An elastic substance obtained from the milky juice of any of tropical
plants of the genus Hevea and Ficus, prepared in sheets and then dried |
| RUBY |
A transparent, dark red precious stone consisting of corundrum, often
used in jewellery |
| RUSH |
Any of various tufted marsh plants of the genera Juncus and Luzula, with
cylindrical, often hollow stems, used in bottoming chairs and plaiting mats |
| SANDALWOOD |
Hard, light-coloured, close-grained heartwood of any of certain Asian
trees of the genus Santalum, typically used in ornamental carving and
cabinetwork |
| SANDSTONE |
Sedimentary rock consisting of sand or quartz grains cemented together,
typically red, yellow, or brown |
| SAPPHIRE |
A transparent, typically blue precious stone, consisting of corundrum,
often used in jewellery |
| SATIN |
A smooth, glossy fabric with a lustrous face and dull back, usually of
silk |
| SATINWOOD |
Smooth, hard wood from the East-Indian Satinwood tree, typically used
for making furniture |
| SENNIT |
Plaited straw, hemp, or similar fibrous material, typically used in
making hats |
| SEQUIN |
A small, shiny disk sewn onto clothing for decoration, historically made
from metal, but now mainly made from plastic |
| SERGE |
A durable twilled cloth made from wool, with a smooth clear face and
pronounced diagonal rib on the front and the back, typically used to make
clothes such as skirts, coats and trousers |
| SHEEPSKIN |
A sheep’s skin with the wool still attached to it, especially when made
into a garment or rug |
| SHEFFIELD PLATE |
A clad plate made by rolling and fusing a thing covering of silver on
either side of a copper sheet |
| SHELL |
Hard, rigid covering or support of an animal, or the hard or tough often
thin outer covering of an egg (as of a bird or reptile), a fruit, or a seed,
especially when hard or fibrous |
| SHELLAC |
An excretion gathered from the lac insect, used to make phonograph
records, or in art as a coating, varnish, primer or sealant |
| SILK |
A fine, strong, lustrous fibre, produced by silkworms in making cocoons
and collected to make thread and fabric |
| SILVER PLATE |
Domestic flatware and hollowware made of silver or of a silver-plated
base metal |
| SILVER |
Malleable metallic element that is capable of a high degree of polish,
that is used in jewellery, tableware and electronics |
| SIZE |
A liquid applied to a painting surface to fill the pores of the fibres
and seal the surface |
SKIN | A thin layer of tissue forming the natural outer layer of the body of a person or animal |
| SLATE |
A dense, fine-grained metamorphic rock, produced by the compression of
various sediments, often used as roofing material or as a writing surface |
| SLIP |
A liquefied suspension of clay particles in water, used in casting
plaster molds, or in decoration |
| SOAPSTONE |
A soft metamorphic rock composed mostly of talc, often used for hearths,
washtubs and carved ornaments |
| SOLDER |
Metal or metallic alloy that is used when melted to join metallic
surfaces |
| STAIN |
A penetrative dye or chemical used in colouring a material or object |
| STAINLESS STEEL |
Alloy of steel and chromium, resistant to tarnishing and rust |
| STEEL |
Hard, strong, grey or bluish-grey alloy of iron with carbon and usually
other elements, used in construction and fabrication |
STICK | A think piece of wood that has fallen or been cut off a tree |
STONE | Hard, solid non-metallic mineral matter of which rock is made, used especially as a building material |
| STRAW |
Dried stalks of grain, used as material for thatching, packing, weaving
or plaiting |
| STRING |
A long flexible structure or cord consisting of threads of cotton, hemp,
or other material twisted together to form a thin length, typically used to
tie, bind or hang other objects |
| SUEDE |
Kid or other leather finished with a soft, napped surface on the flesh
side |
| TAFFETA |
A medium or light-weight fabric of acetate, nylon, rayon or silk,
usually smooth, crisp and lustrous |
| TAPA |
Barkcloth of the Pacific Islands, made by pounded bark, especially of
the paper mulberry, and usually decorated with geometric patterns |
| TEAK |
The durable, yellowish-brown, resinous wood of the tropical Asian teak
tree, of the verbeena family, typically used in shipbuilding and making
furniture |
| TEMPERA |
A permanent, fast-drying painting medium consisting of coloured pigments
mixed with a watersoluble binder medium, usually glutinous material such as
egg yolk |
| TERRACOTTA |
A type of fired clay, typically of a brownish-red colour and unglazed,
used as an ornamental building material and in modelling |
| TIN |
Soft, silvery-white metallic element that is malleable, used especially
in containers, as a protective coating, in soft solders and alloys |
TISSUE PAPER | Thin, soft paper typically used for wrapping or protecting fragile or delicate articles |
| TOPAZ |
A very hard, transparent mineral with a yellow hue which is often used
as a precious stone in the making of jewellery |
| TORTOISESHELL |
The hard brown/yellow mottled substance in the outer layer of certain
sea turtle shells, which has often been used historically for making
jewellery and ornaments |
| TOWELLING |
A thick and absorbent fabric with uncut loops typically used to make
towels and robes |
| TULLE |
A fabric made of nylon, rayon, cotton or silk which contains very fine
holes and which is often used to make formal dresses and veils |
| TUNGSTEN |
Malleable and ductile metallic element which is grey/white in colour and
is often used in electrical contact points and lamp filaments |
| TURQUOISE |
A blue, fine-grained mineral which is often used to make jewellery |
| TUSK |
The protruding, pointed teeth of an elephant and some other mammals |
| TWEED |
A thick, slightly rough woollen fabric which is woven using a twill
weave and different coloured threads |
| TWILL |
A strong fabric which is usually composed of cotton and which contains
raised diagonal lines across its surface |
| TWINE |
A strong string which is made by twisting more than one piece of string
together |
| VARNISH |
An oily substance which is often used to coat wooden objects and
paintings |
| VEGETABLE IVORY |
A hard white material obtained from the ivory nut and often used to
produce ornaments and small items such as buttons |
| VELCRO |
A nylon material used for fastening two parts together, which functions
by attaching one piece consisting of fine, hooked threads to another piece
consisting of a coarse surface VINYL A strong plastic, often used in the
production of furniture, floor coverings and records |
| VELLUM |
A parchment used for writing which is composed of lamb, calf or kid skin |
| VELOUR |
A velvet-like fabric which is composed of cotton or silk and is often
used to make hats, coats and upholstery |
| VELVET |
A fabric which has a soft and thick layer of cut threads on one side and
is composed of cotton, nylon or silk |
| VENEER |
A thin layer of plastic or wood which is commonly applied to cover a
cheaper material |
| VOILE |
A thin, semi-transparent fabric which is composed of wool, silk, rayon
or cotton and is often used to make women’s clothing and sheer curtains |
| VULCANITE |
A hard substance produced from the vulcanisation of natural rubber and
sulphur |
| WALLPAPER |
A thick paper which is often coloured and/or patterned and is used to
decorate a wall space |
| WALNUT |
The light brown seed and the wood of the walnut tree, typically used in
cabinetmaking |
| WATERCOLOUR |
A water soluble paint composed of pigments and a binder (usually gum
arabic) |
| WAX |
A substance which is composed mostly of oil or fat and is often used in
the production of candles or to coat a surface |
| WHALE BONE |
A strong but elastic keratinous material taken from the upper jaw of a
Baleen wale, which has been used historically to stiffen bodices and corsets |
| WHITE METAL |
An alloy of metals which are light in colour eg. zinc, tin or lead.
White metals are often used for decorative purposes, such as the base for
plated silverware |
| WOOL | The curly, soft and thick hair that covers sheep and some other mammals
which is often used to produce textiles |
| WORSTED |
A yarn or fabric composed of combed long-staple wool |
| WROUGHT IRON |
Metallic substance which is produced through the act of smelting iron
with carbon and slag (the non-metallic constituents of a processed metal
ore). It can be bent and hammered into functional and decorative shapes while
hot |
| ZINC |
Metal with a white/blue hue that is often used to create metal alloys or
to coat other metals which are vulnerable to corrosion |