fibre

Everyday

1. A fibre is a very thin thread, like those that make up wool, cotton, string, hair or paper. tree →
2. Fibre is the part of plant foods, like vegetables, fruit, beans and wholemeal bread, that your body does not digest but needs to keep your gut healthy. tree →
3. Fibre can mean a material made of threads, like glass fibre. tree →
4. Your moral fibre is your inner strength and goodness. tree →
5. Fibres are thin threads of tissue that make up your muscles and other parts of your body. tree →

In the lessons

In science and health lessons: eat plenty of fibre for good digestion; whole grains, fruit, vegetables and beans are high in fibre. In materials lessons: natural fibres (wool, cotton, silk) and man-made fibres (nylon, polyester). In technology: fibre-optic cables carry internet signals as light. Phrases: «high in fibre», «natural fibres», «fibre optic», «every fibre of my being» (with all my heart).

Examples

• Brown bread has more fibre than white bread. tree →
• Eat fruit and vegetables for fibre. tree →
• Wool is made of animal fibres. tree →
• The rope was made of thick plant fibres. tree →
• Fibre-optic cables carry the internet as light. tree →
• Under the microscope, we saw the fibres of the paper. tree →
• Cotton is a natural fibre. tree →
• Beans are full of fibre. tree →
• A sickness was racking in every one of my bones, a languor and weariness creeping through my every fibre and muscle. tree →

Note

Spelling: «fibre» (UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Canada) and «fiber» (US); both are correct. As food it is uncountable («some fibre»); threads are countable («two fibres»). Fibre in food is not digested, but it is still important.