verb
- treats cotton fiber or fabric with sodium hydroxide to increase its strength, luster, and ability to take dye
Usage: textile manufacturing
Examples
- The textile mill mercerizes the cotton before dyeing it.
- Mercerized cotton thread has a silky appearance and greater durability.
- The factory mercerizes thousands of yards of fabric daily.
- She prefers mercerized cotton for embroidery because it holds color better.
- The process that mercerizes cotton was invented in the 1840s.
- This machine mercerizes the cotton under controlled temperature and pressure.