Linen | Textile - Encyclopedia Britannica

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External Websites

• National Center for Biotechnology Information - Pubmed Central - Linen Most Useful: Perspectives on Structure, Chemistry, and Enzymes for Retting Flax
• National Center for Biotechnology Information - PubMed Central - Investigation of the Properties of Linen Fibers and Dressings
• Swarthmore College - Transatlantic Textiles: European Linen In The Cloth Cultures Of Colonial North America
• The Spruce - What Is Linen Fabric? Linen vs. Cotton
• JewishEncyclopedia.com - Linen

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• linen - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up)

linen textile Ask Anything Homework Help Written and fact-checked by Britannica Editors Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... Britannica Editors Last updated Dec. 16, 2025 •History Britannica AI Ask Anything Table of Contents Table of Contents Ask Anything

linen, Fibre, yarn, and fabric made from the flax plant. Flax is one of the oldest textile fibres used by humans; evidence of its use has been found in Switzerland’s prehistoric lake dwellings. Fine linen fabrics have been discovered in ancient Egyptian tombs. The fibre is obtained by subjecting plant stalks to a series of operations, including retting (a fermentation process), drying, crushing, and beating. Linen is stronger than cotton, dries more quickly, and is more slowly affected by exposure to sunlight. Low elasticity, imparting a hard, smooth texture, makes linen subject to wrinkling. Because linen absorbs and releases moisture quickly and is a good conductor of heat, linen garments feel cool to wearers. Fine grades of linen are made into woven fabrics and laces for apparel and household furnishings.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Robert Curley.