Glossary of Terms
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Lamb's wool | The first clip of wool shorn from lambs up to eight months old. Merino lamb's wool is soft, has a curly tip and used for fine grade fabrics. |
| Lanolin |
Also known as wool grease; this substance is a secretion from the sebaceous glands of the sheep. Often used for cosmetic applications.
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| Let go Pen |
An individual pen into which each shearer to releases their shorn or crutched sheep.
Synonyms -
Count out Pen |
| Life cycle |
The life history, usually of a parasite, which goes through different stages eg. adult, egg, larva / nymph, pupae.
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| Line | Each different grade of wool is separated and referred to as a 'line of wool' e.g. A line of Fleece, Bellies or Locks. |
| Lock |
A small, approximately finger-size clump of wool that tends to stay together when shorn from the sheep. Sometimes referred to as a staple.
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| Locks |
Very short wool cut from the fleece by shearers. Either short wool from around the points or second cuts caused when shearers lift the handpiece off the skin and then shear the short fires left on the skin to tidy up.
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| Loom |
A device or machine for weaving cloth.
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| Lot, Sale Lot or Line of Wool |
Any number of similar bales of wool, prepared for sale as a single parcel in accordance with accepted trade practices.
Synonyms -
Sale Lot, Line |
| Lousicide |
A remedy used to kill lice on animals.
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| Lousy / Lice |
Wool from sheep that have been affected by lice. The lice make the sheep itchy so they rub against trees and fences and this make the wool become matted and straggly. The wool smells and turns yellowish.
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| Lustre |
The light reflective quality of a fibre or fabric exhibited in shine and gloss.
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| Mean Fibre Diameter |
The average diameter (thickness) of a group of fibres from a sheep. Expressed in microns(
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| Medium Wool |
Merino wool that has a mid-range fibre diameter, usually between 20.6 and 22.5 micron.
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| Medullated |
Fibres which have a medulla, that is, are hollow down the centre. In wool fibres, this creates a different appearance to those which are unmedullated, and effects the dyeing properties.
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