Glossary of Terms
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Broken |
A trade term used to describe the best wool of skirtings, having the characteristics of fleece wool.
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| Broken mouth |
A sheep whose front teeth are broken or missing entirely.
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| Broom |
Specialised broom or floor sweep used by a wool handler.
Synonyms -
Paddle |
| Bulk Class |
A bale of wool consigned to bulk classing that contains two or more different types of wool.
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| Burry |
A term applied to wool containing certain seed pods, mainly of the medicago species. Wool carrying a percentage of burr. Light burr can be removed by the card or comb, whereas wool carrying heavy burr or vegetable matter may be carbonised prior to carding.
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| Butt |
A wool pack containing greasy wool weighing less than the minimum bale weight (eg. 120kg.) packed down by hand.
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| Butt holder |
Frame used to hold a wool pack to be used as a butt.
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| Carbonising |
The removal of vegetable matter from wool fibre using acid solution. These are usually very burry wools, from which the vegetable fault cannot economically be removed by mechanical methods. This is followed by baking and crushing to remove the dissolved vegetable matter.
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| Carding wool or types |
Wool suitable for the woollen system of yarn production where wool is carded but not combed. It is shorter (less than 40mm) than combing or worsted trade wools.
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| Cast | 1. A class made for lower grade fleeces. 2. A sheep that has been lying down and unable to get up for a period of time. |
| Cast for age |
A sheep rejected from the flock due to old age.
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| Castrate |
Removing the testicles from a male sheep.
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| Catalogue |
Printed list, prepared by the selling broker, showing the lot number, owner's brand, test results, description of the wool and the number of bales in each lot. Catalogues are supplied to buyers for valuing purposes and to growers when they inspect their wool.
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| Catching pen |
Pen adjoining the board where the shearer catches their sheep prior to shearing.
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| Character |
Clarity or evenness of the crimp or wave in a staple of wool.
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