fiber

{ }, n. [ F. fibre, L. fibra. ] 1. One of the delicate, threadlike portions of which the tissues of plants and animals are in part constituted; as, the fiber of flax or of muscle. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Any fine, slender thread, or threadlike substance; as, a fiber of spun glass; especially, one of the slender rootlets of a plant. [ wns=1 ] [ 1913 Webster ]

3. the inherent complex of attributes that determine a person's moral and ethical actions and reactions; sinew; strength; toughness; as, a man of real fiber. [ wns=2 ]
Syn. -- character, fibre. [ 1913 Webster + WordNet 1.5 ]

Yet had no fibers in him, nor no force. Chapman. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. A general name for the raw material, such as cotton, flax, hemp, etc., used in textile manufactures. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. (Nutrition) that portion of food composed of carbohydrates which are completely or partly indigestible, such as cellulose or pectin; it may be in an insoluble or a soluble form. It provides bulk to the solid waste and stimulates peristalsis in the intestine. It is found especially in grains, fruits, and vegetables. There is some medical evidence which indicates that diets high in fiber reduce the risk of colon cancer and reduce cholesterol levels in the blood. It is also called dietary fiber, roughage, or bulk. [ PJC ]

6. a leatherlike material made by compressing layers of paper or cloth. [ wns=3 ]
Syn. -- fibre, vulcanized fiber. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

Fiber gun, a kind of steam gun for converting, wood, straw, etc., into fiber. The material is shut up in the gun with steam, air, or gas at a very high pressure which is afterward relieved suddenly by letting a lid at the muzzle fly open, when the rapid expansion separates the fibers. --
Fiber plants (Bot.), plants capable of yielding fiber useful in the arts, as hemp, flax, ramie, agave, etc.