Glossary
Uniform fabric terms: M
The vocabulary that turns up on spec sheets, quotations and tender documents, defined in a line or two. Where a term deserves more than that, it links to the guide that covers it properly.
M
- Man-made fiber (MMF)
- Fiber that is manufactured rather than grown: synthetics such as polyester and nylon, and regenerated cellulosics such as viscose. Indian textile policy and trade data use it as a segment label, so MMF figures cover poly-viscose cloth while cotton figures do not.
- Manufacturer declaration
- The mill's own written statement of what it produced, where and to what specification. It carries no official standing on its own and it is what supports an origin application or answers a buyer's vetting, so it should not be presented or accepted as a certificate. Read the guide on Manufacturer declaration
- Marker
- The cutting layout that arranges every pattern piece for a size set across the fabric width before cutting. Marker efficiency, the share of cloth that ends up in garments rather than offcuts, is what turns a per-metre price into a real cost per uniform, and it changes with fabric width. Read the guide on Marker
- Martindale
- A test instrument that rubs a fabric specimen in a repeating figure-of-eight motion, used for both abrasion resistance and pilling assessment under separate standards. The method sets a procedure, not a pass mark; the acceptable result is whatever the contract specifies. Read the guide on Martindale
- Matty
- A basket-style weave where yarns are grouped rather than crossing one over one, giving a flat textured surface. Common in institutional and school uniform fabric. Read the guide on Matty
- Measurement uncertainty
- The scatter built into any lab result. A reading that lands right on a specification limit can fall either side on a retest, so agree in writing how borderline results are treated. Read the guide on Measurement uncertainty
- Mechanical stretch
- Give that comes from how the cloth is built rather than from an elastic fiber: a high-twist yarn, a crepe weave or crimped texturised filament lets the fabric extend slightly and relax back. It is gentler and less springy than elastane stretch. Read the guide on Mechanical stretch
- MEG
- Monoethylene glycol, the second feedstock behind polyester, reacted with PTA to make polyester chip. Like PTA it is dollar-priced and tracks crude, so both legs of the polyester chain move with energy markets rather than with fabric demand.
- Melange
- A flecked or heathered effect produced by dyeing fibers before they are spun and blending shades in the yarn, rather than dyeing the woven cloth. The effect hides light soiling well, and the shade is fixed at the spinning stage rather than adjustable later in the dyehouse. Read the guide on Melange
- Melt spinning
- Making fiber by melting a polymer, such as PET chip, pushing it through a spinneret and cooling the filaments in air. Used for polyester and nylon. Read the guide on Melt spinning
- Mercerising
- A caustic treatment of cotton under tension that increases lustre, strength and dye uptake. It applies only where cotton is present, and means nothing on an all-polyester fabric. Read the guide on Mercerising
- Merchant exporter
- A trader who buys finished goods from a manufacturer and exports them under its own name rather than making them. Buying through one is normal, but it changes who the exporter of record is, and therefore who holds the export declaration and files the origin paperwork. Read the guide on Merchant exporter
- Metamerism
- Two samples matching under one light source but visibly differing under another. It is a real property of the dyes involved, not an error of perception, and it is why shades are approved under defined lights. Read the guide on Metamerism
- MFN tariff
- The most favoured nation rate, meaning the standard import duty a country applies to goods from any WTO member it has no preferential agreement with. It is the rate your fabric pays by default, and the one a trade agreement or a preference scheme reduces.
- Micronaire
- An airflow test on a weighed plug of cotton that reflects fiber fineness and maturity together. Too low suggests immature fiber prone to neps and uneven dyeing; too high suggests coarse fiber that limits how fine a yarn can be spun. Read the guide on Micronaire
- Minimum support price (MSP)
- The floor price the Government of India sets each season for seed cotton and other crops. When market prices fall below it, the Cotton Corporation of India procures at the MSP.
- Modal
- A cellulosic fiber made from the same dissolving pulp as viscose by a modified viscose route that gives a more ordered fiber structure. It feels silkier, keeps more of its strength when wet and shrinks less than plain viscose, so it shows up more in premium shirting and knitwear than in uniform blends. Read the guide on Modal
- Moisture management
- A loose marketing label applied to two different properties: how easily sweat vapour passes through a cloth (water-vapour resistance) and how quickly liquid sweat already in the cloth wets, spreads and moves (liquid moisture transport). Ask which one is meant and which named test proves it. Read the guide on Moisture management
- Moisture regain
- The moisture a fiber holds at standard conditions, expressed as a percentage of its dry weight. Viscose and cotton have high regain and feel cooler against the skin; polyester is close to zero, which is why a high-polyester blend dries fast but can feel clammy in humid heat. Read the guide on Moisture regain
- MOQ
- Minimum order quantity: the smallest quantity a mill will supply, set per shade because dyeing runs in batches. Ours is 50 m per shade from ready stock and 500 m per shade for a custom shade or construction. Read the guide on MOQ
Looking for something that isn't here? The full guide library goes deeper on every term, and you can always ask us directly.
Ready to place an enquiry?