A valuable East Indian fiber plant (Hibiscus cannabinus), or its fiber, which is used throughout India for making ropes, cordage, and a coarse canvas and sackcloth; called also brown Indian hemp
Hemp is a plant used for making rope or the drug marijuana. a type of plant that is used to make rope and sometimes to produce the drug cannabis. Stout, aromatic, erect annual herbaceous plant (Cannabis sativa, family Cannabaceae), the sole species of cannabis; also, its fibre. Hemp originated in Central Asia and is now cultivated widely in the northern temperate zone. A tall, canelike variety is raised for the fibre; a short, more branched variety is prized as the more abundant source of marijuana. Hemp fibre is strong and durable and is used for cordage and for artificial sponges and such coarse fabrics as sacking (burlap) and canvas. Hemp is grown primarily for fibre in most countries
[OE] Hemp is ultimately the same word as cannabis (as, bizarrely, is canvas, which was originally made from hemp) Both go back to a common ancestor which produced Persian kanab, Russian konóplya, Greek kánnabis (source of English cannabis), and a prehistoric Germanic *khanipiz or *khanapiz From the latter are descended German hanf, Dutch hennep, Swedish hampa, Danish hamp, and English hemp
A type of canvas sometimes used to make sneakers, including the pictured Chucks Hemp canvas is more durable than many other materials Hemp cultivation, even for fabric, is illegal in the United States (except for research) because of drug abuse concerns However, the finished cloth is legal to import
Hemp is a bast fibre that was probably used first in Asia The fibre is dark tan or brown and is difficult to bleach, but it can be dyed bright and dark colours The hemp fibres vary widely in length, depending upon their ultimate use Industrial fibres may be several inches long, while fibres used for domestic textiles are about 3/4 inch to 1 inch (1 9 to 2 54 cm) long The elongation (1 to 6 percent) is low and its elasticity poor The thermal reactions of hemp and the effect of sunlight are the same as for cotton Hemp is moth resistant, but it is not impervious to mildew Coarse hemp fibres and yarns are woven into cordage, rope, sacking and heavy-duty tarpaulins In Italy, fine hemp fibres are used for interior design and apparel fabrics
Hemp is a course fiber made from the inner bark of the hemp plant It is becoming increasingly popular for use in diapers because of its durability, absorbancy and natural anti-microbial properties If you are undecided as to which fabric to choose for your diapers, be sure to read Is Hemp Really Better Than Cotton? by Krista of BabyKicks
An older name for abaca, manila hemp is related to thebanana plant Its leaf fiber is often used in paper making, and should not be confusedwith true hemp-"cannabis sativa" (the marijuana plant)
herb widely distributed in tropics and subtropics used for forage and medicinally as a demulcent and having a fine soft bast stronger than jute; sometimes an aggressive weed