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 RugTerminology:



A
Abrash (Arbrush)
Inadvertent variations in color found within a field of color in an area rug. Abrash usually appears as tonal stripes running horizontally across the rug. Subtle instances of abrash are caused by natural variations in yarn diameter caused by hand-spinning, while heavier appearances of abrash are caused by switches of the dye batch. Since abrash is a natural effect of hand-weaving, and is sometimes an intentional attempt by the weaver to add interest to monotonous open-field backgrounds, it is generally seen as a desirable feature of tribal rugs.

Acrylic
Man-made fiber used as a less expensive alternative to wool.

All Over Design
Rug pattern that is consistent throughout the field of the rug; not featuring a central medallion or border.

Antique Wash
A chemical wash that imitates an antique look.

Anti-Static
Rug treatment that diminishes the effects of static electricity build-up.

Arabesque
Intricate patterns of intertwining flowers and vines.

Arbrush (see Abrash)

Art Silk
Artificial silk yarn for weaving that is made from cotton, rayon or polyester that resembles silk. It is soft to the touch and more affordable than the expensive silk originals. Sometimes artificial silk rugs are sold as real silk, so be sure to get what you pay for. (See Burn Tests for tips on how to differentiate between real and art silk.)

Asymmetrical Knot
A type of Oriental pile rug knot where only one of the two warps are entirely encircled. (See also Persian Knot.)

Aubusson (Aubuson)
Style of rug that originated in France in the 15th century. Aubusson evolved into several main styles over the course of the next four centuries, including popular Antoinette, Josephine and Maison patterns. Aubusson were originally flat-weave rugs, usually featuring a floral medallion and pastel colors, but today these rug patterns have been adapted for pile rugs.

Axminster Rug
Rugs manufactured by a particular style of loom and weaving that originated in the town of Axminster , England during the industrial revolution. The Axminster loom offers great flexibility of color, enabling use of up to 70 colors, and design. These machine-made rugs are woven onto a flexible cotton frame, the pile is then cut level to one height and the pile tufts are anchored by strong wefts. Axminster rugs combine many colors in geometric or floral patterns.



B

Bamboo Rugs
Bamboo rugs or mats are woven from natural bamboo fibers. Bamboo is cut into strands for woven designs and into wide strips for a hardwood floor effect.

Berber
Term popularly used to refer to a natural colored look of carpeting. This style has been developed commercially by carpet manufacturers. Berber is more accurately or traditionally defined as a group of North African tribespeople who crafted rugs of handspun yarn from the undyed wool of local sheep.

Blend
Carpets composed of more than one kind of fiber.

Boucle
Heavy looped pile.

Boteh
The original version of paisley, this motif is thought to represent the forms of pine cones, cypress trees or the flame of Zoroaster. Boteh is a very popular motif in many types of traditional Oriental rugs.

Braided rug
Rugs made from braided yarn, often made of 'rag' or muti-colored fabric swatches, that are then sewn into concentric circles or ovals.

Brocade
Floating horizontal weave that is used to embellish area rugs and other textiles. Brocade is sometimes used in kilim rugs.

Bukhara (also Bokhara and Bocarra)
Uzbekistan 's capitol and a major trading center for tribal Turkish rugs. Turkoman rugs are commonly referred to as Bukharas, however contemporary rugs that are identified as Bukhara are often made in Pakistan . Bukhara rugs typically feature rows of repeating motifs or guls.

Burn Test
The material content of a rug can be tested by burning a small tuft of the fiber. Cotton has a vegetable smell when burned, while wool and silk will smell like burning hair.



C

Carding
Process of arranging and smoothing wool fibers by pulling them between two spiked paddles.

Cartoon
Diagram used as a template for rug design when knotting an oriental rug. These diagrams are especially useful for rugs made by groups of weavers, such as village rugs.

Cartouche
Design element that contains a date or inscription.

Chenille
Fabric with a deep luxurious pile that is often used in rugs.

Chrome dyes
Colorfast dyes that use potassium bichromate to bond the yarn to the dye.

Classical
Ornate court carpets that were originally designed before the turn of the 19th century (see also Aubusson).

Cloudband
Originally a Chinese design, this pattern resembles a swirling band of clouds. Cloudbands also appear frequently in Persian rug designs.

Combing
Process that organizes carded wool fibers in a parallel arrangement by pulling them through spiked blocks or combs. This process prepares wool for spinning.

Contemporary
Non-traditional styles of rugs that range from shag and braided rugs to pile-weave rugs with geometric or modern patterns.

Cotton
Soft and fluffy fiber produced by the cotton plant. Fibers are formed within a cotton boll or seedpod. The fibers can be spun and are used in rugs for backing, fringes and sometimes mercerized cotton is used for pile.

Cross-woven
Cross-woven rugs are made on the Wilton loom. This technique incorporates fringes into the rug rather than requiring them to be sewn on afterwards. Cross-weaving is done from side to side, rather than top to bottom, which allows the use of more colors in addition to delicate details and an elegant abrash look.

Cut Pile
Cut-pile is a smooth finish created by cutting off the tops of the wool loops. The cut loops are then twisted to make tufts of yarn that stand erect, creating a soft even surface. Also known as 'velour' or 'velvet' pile.



D

Denier
Measurement of linear density (mass in grams of 9000 meters of the measured yarn or fiber). Large fibers or yarns have high deniers, thin yarns have low deniers.

Density
Refers to the amount of pile yarn in the carpet and the closeness of the tufts. The more densely or tightly packed the yarn is, the more luxurious the pile will feel.

Dhurrie (Dhurie)
Inexpensive flat-woven rugs from India , usually made of wool or cotton. Type of Kilim.

Dragon
Motif popular in Chinese rugs that symbolizes good fortune.



E

Embossed
Carved pile around a design or motif that augments the look of the pattern.

Embroidery
Needle-work embellishments that decorate a fabric or textile.



F

Faux Silk
Artificial silk made from synthetic fibers like polyester or natural fibers including mercerized cotton. (See also Art Silk.)

Field
The center plain of an area rug that is surrounded by the border and contains the central medallion or other motifs.

Flat Weave
Rugs without pile or knots. Flat weave rugs are made on a loom and threaded through the warps. Kilims, Dhurries and the original Aubusson are good examples of flat woven rugs.

Flattening
Carpets with pile flatten due to heavy traffic. Cleaning and vacuuming can restore the height of the pile.

Flokati
Traditional Greek rugs, hand-woven from sheep's wool. These shaggy rugs are decadent and fluffy for feet, and their natural colors are pleasing to the eye as well.

Frames
The part of the loom that holds the spools of yarn. Every frame in a loom holds a different color of yarn. An eight-frame loom weaves an eight color rug.

Frieze
Heavily twisted yarn provides a coarse texture of cut pile. (See also Hard Twist.)

Fringe
Warp threads that extend beyond the end of the rug.



G

Gabbeh
A fluffy long piled rug used by nomads as a mattress. They have only been sold commercially in the West since 1990. Gabbeh usually have a simple colorful patterns, sometimes depicting a pastoral scene.

Gauge
Ends of pile yarn per unit of length across the width of the carpet.

Gileem (See Kilim )

Guard Stripes
Stripes of color that embellish the main border and separate it from the field.

Gul
Persian word for flower, it describes the popular ornaments found in Turkoman carpets. This is an octagonal motif, usually elongated and divided into four. The word means "rose or flower".

Ground
Background color that accents the rug's design motif.



H

Hali
Word for 'rug' in Turkish.

Halicilik
The word for 'rug merchant' in Turkish.

Hand
The feel of the rug's texture. Qualities could include scratchiness, stiffness, roughness and softness.

Hand-Hooked
Rugs made in a manner similar to that of hand-tufted rugs, except that the pile is left looped rather than cut. Canvas backing is spread on a frame and a hooking implement is then used to pull the yarn through the fabric. Latex glue is then applied to the back of the rug to hold the loops in place. Another layer of cloth is added to the back of the rug and the rug is then finished by turning under the ends.

Hand-Knotted
The most expensive and longest to make, hand-knotted rugs are traditionally made with wool or silk. The weaver loops wool or silk around the warps one at a time, creating a thick pile. Cotton yarn is then woven through the warps to hold them together. Generally the cotton yarns are tied off to form a decorative fringe.

Hand-Woven
Rugs woven on a hand loom.

Hand-Made Rug
Rugs that are either hand-knotted or hand-tufted. More expensive than machine-made rugs.

Hand-Tufted
Hand-tufted rugs are made much like hand-hooked rugs, except that the loops are sheared to create a flat surface. Tufted rugs can be made with combinations of fibers, and offer a great value. Hi-Lo Tufted Rugs feature a combination of cut and looped pile, yielding a three dimensional effect.

Hard Twist/Cut Pile
Practical type of cut-pile carpet that minimizes flattening with its durable stiffness. The yarns are twisted and set at a high temperature. (See also Frieze.)

Heat-Set
Process of using heat to treat twisted yarns to maintain their strength.

Herati Border
Common Persian pattern of rosettes and leaves in a diamond shaped border. Also known as a 'fish design', although the pattern does not remember a fish.

Heriz
City on the border of Iran and Azerbaijan. Popular rugs with geometric medallions were originally woven there.

Hooked rug
Rug made by pushing loops of yarn through a canvas backing. (See also Hand-Hooked.)

I

J

Jute Rugs
Rugs woven of natural plant fibers that were originally used as doormats. Jute is grown in areas of southern Asia . The fibers are then stripped from their stalks and can be spun into yarn or rope and woven. Jute rugs are woven with loop or flat construction, and have become popular for use throughout the home. Jute yarns are strong and often used as warps in knotted rugs.

K

Kashmir
Silk or mercerized cotton carpets from the Islamic region of India . Kashmir rugs are woven with Persian knots and have coloration and ornate patterns unique to India .

Knot
Oriental rugs are made with two basic kinds of knots, Persian Senneh and Turkish Ghiordes. Persian Senneh are complex asymmetrical knots. Turkish Ghiordes are symmetrical knot. Both knots vary with different tribal and regional traditions. (See Persian Knot and Turkish Knot for more details.)

Knot Count
Number of knots per square inch of rug

Knotted Pile
Weaving style that involves wrapping tufts of wool or pile around the warps. They wool or pile is then tied around each individual warp strand to erect the pile at a 90 degree angle to the floor.

Kufic Script
Stylized calligraphic script used for decoration.

L

Latex
Emulsion of synthetic rubber or plastic, used in rug adhesives.

Line Count
Number of horizontal knots in a foot of rug. The greater the number of knots, the higher the quality of the rug.

Loom
Structure that holds warp strands taut for weaving and knotting. Looms can be vertical, horizontal, fixed or mobile.

Loop Pile
Loop pile is a hard-wearing surface, designed to minimize tracking. Loop pile is the same as cut pile before it is trimmed.

Luster
Brightness and sheen of the rug fibers or yarns.

M

Machine-Made
Rugs woven on power-looms controlled by a computer. The computer controls which colors are woven into the fabric and where. Machine-made rugs can be made quickly, and are offered in materials including heat-set polypropylene, art silk and wool.

Medallion
Large design in the middle of some oriental and European rug styles.

Motifs
Single or repeated elements of a rug pattern.

Multi-Level Loop Pile
Varied heights of yarn loops that create a three dimensional effect.

N

Nap
Surface or pile of a rug.

Natural Rug
Rugs made of natural fibers that are usually ivory or neutral colored. Texture is the main feature of these rugs.

Nylon
Strong synthetic fiber with good dyeing ability.

O

Oltenian
Considered to be the finest type of kilim rug, usually featuring ornate flower and leaf patterns.

Oriental
Out-of-date word for 'of the Eastern World', or the region of the world that was found by early European explorers who circled Africa .

P

Persian Knot
Knot that is tied onto two warp strands, wrapped around one and looped behind the other. (See also Asymmetrical Knot.)

Pile
Surface of the rug formed by cut ends of the knots.

Pile Height
Height of the pile, measured by tenths of an inch from the top surface of the rug backing to the top of the pile's surface.

Pile Weight
Weight of pile yarn per square yard of the rug.

Plush
Cut pile rug in which the tuft ends blend together.

Ply
Number of yarns spun together to form a tuft of pile. Measurement of the yarn's thickness.

Point
One tuft of pile.

Polyester
Synthetic fiber most often used in staple spun yarns.

Polypropylene
A petroleum-based synthetic material which is often heat set to guarantee vibrant color, long lasting beauty, easy maintenance and enduring performance.

Power Loom
A loom operated by mechanical or electronic power.

Prayer Rug
One-sided rug with an arch at the top of the field. Small versions of these rugs were once designed and used for kneeling while reciting prayers. Prayer rugs are woven in Turkey , Iran , Afghanistan and other areas of the Middle East .

Primary Backing
Backing in a tufted carpet into which the tufts are inserted. The backing is then bonded with latex on its back side to hold the tufts in place.

Q

Quatref
Round motif with four symmetrical lobes.

R

Raj
Knots per 7 centimeters, or 2 and ¾ inches.

Rosette
Motif that looks like a round flower. (See also Gul

Runner
Long, narrow rug used primarily for hallways and stairways.

S

Savonnerie
The name given to French piled carpets made until 1890 that look similar to Persian Kermans. These rugs were more foot friendly than their cousin the Aubusson and had an impressionist quality many find very appealing. This rug is the model for many of today's Indian and Persian rugs.

Sarouk (Serouk)
Beautiful factory woven carpets from central Iran and Iranian Azerbaijan, manufactured for export.

Saxony
Cut pile rugs made with a dense cut pile and heavy yarns. Similar to shag rug, but with shorter pile.

Secondary Backing
In tufted carpet, an additional backing is bonded onto the primary backing with latex.

Semi-Worsted
Combing process that removes shorter fibers, resulting in a more lustrous looking yarn.

Setting
For good tuft definition, yarns are twisted and then 'set' with heat to hold the twist's shape.

Shag Rug
Contemporary rug style with long, typically synthetic, pile. Shah Abbas
Design that features feather and lotus motifs. Popular pattern in many modern Persian rugs.

Shedding
New rugs sometimes lose loose fibers, but it is not harmful to the carpet.

Sisal
Plant of the genus Agave that yields a fiber often used for making natural rope. The name sisal is used for both the plant and for the fiber. Sometimes referred to as hemp, sisal is not actually hemp but a fiber that resembles it. Sisal rugs are natural rugs, woven from sisal fibers. (See also Wool Sisal.)

Spandrels
Corner designs in the field of a rug, often arc shaped.

Strapwork
Interlacing pattern resembling straps.

Soumak Weave
Complex reversible rugs that are woven with a weft-wrapping technique. Extra wefts of dyed wool are added to create a pattern, like a brocade.

Static
Build-up of electric charge when a person walks over a carpet. Occurs with both natural and synthetic fibers, and is effected by humidity.

T

Tapestry
In rug terminology tapestry refers to a weft face weave with complicated designs. (See also Brocade.)

Tea Wash
Process used to antique the colors of the rug.

Textured Loop Pile
With loops of differing pile height, textured loop has a unique sculptured look. Like level loop pile, this hard wearing texture minimizes tracking.

Tibetan Knot
Distinctive knotting technique that originated in Tibet and has now spread to other regions. A rod is placed in front of the warp. A single strand of yarn is then wrapped around two warps and then around the rod. When the row is finished, the rod is removed and the resulting loops are cut, creating the pile.

Tip Shear
Cut pile rugs where some of the loops of yarn are left uncut. This finishing style is desirable since it minimizes tracking and flattening effects.

Tone-on-Tone
Two or more tones of the same color in a rug. This look is achieved either by mixing yarns of different tones or by using the same color of yarn in a rug with both cut and looped pile.

Tracking
A footprint effect on carpets. The effect is temporary and disappears after a vacuuming.

Traditional
Style name that refers to the characteristic designs of the European and Oriental/Persian schools of weaving. Modern traditional rugs replicate the classic patterns, colors, and styles of antique rugs.

Transitional
Broad style that falls between traditional European and Oriental rug designs and new contemporary styles. Floral and botanical patterns are good examples of rugs in this category.

Tribal Rug
Style of rug woven by North American or Middle Eastern tribal peoples, or woven in the traditional styles or patterns of these groups.

Tufted Rug
Technique of punching tufts of wool through the base fabric. Used to create inexpensive versionse of hand-knotted rugs. (See also Hand-Tufted.)

Turret Gul
Octagonal motif with eight points and another small octagon in the center of the gul.

Turkish Knot (Senneh)
Symmetrical knot tied around two adjacent warp threads, each of which are encircled by the strand of wool; the ends of the woolen strand reappear between these two warp threads. The weft is then compressed against the row of knots with a heavy metal comb and a new row of knots is started. After the rug has been completely woven, the loops of wool are then clipped, creating the pile of the rug.

Twist
Winding of the yarn around itself to create a neat, well-defined strand.

U

V

Vegetable dyes
Dyes made of natural plant materials, like bark. These dyes contain no synthetic chemicals and tend to fade more rapidly than some synthetic alternatives, like chrome dyes.

Velour
Cut-pile with a velvety surface.

Verneh
Rug featuring a motif of interlocking birds.

Village Rug
Rugs made by a group of people in shifts, working around the clock. Most large tribal carpets are made in this manner.

W

Warp
Vertical strands of weave that extend through the entire length of the rug. The warps are the yarns onto which the knots are tied and the wefts are woven.

Washing
Chemical treatment of wool rugs that tones down the colors and gives the rug a soft texture. Sometimes imitates the effects of aging. Some purists believe that rugs should be allowed to age without the wash.

Weft
Strands of yarn that run across the width of the rug between warp threads. The weft threads hold the pile knots in place.

Wilton Rug
Machine-loomed carpets with limited color palettes. Modern Wilton rugs were the first type to be made on a computerized machine. Wilton cross-weaving offers great flexibility in color placement and design.

Wool Fiber acquired from the hair of sheep, goats and a selection of other domesticated animals, including alpacas.

Wool Sisal
Wool sisal-look rugs are popular alternatives to real sisal (coir and seagrass).

Woven Carpets
Carpet made on a weaving loom where backing threads and pile are woven at the same time, creating strong anchors for the tufts. Axminster and Wilton are both well known woven carpets, offering a wider range of patterns.

X

Y

Yarn
Cord of twisted fibers.

Z

Zaronim
Rug that measures about 3' x 5'.

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