Word of the Day
14 March 2026
harness
The part of a loom comprising the heddles, with their means of support and motion, by which the threads of the warp are alternately raised and depressed for the passage of the shuttle.
Why this one
Same word as the one on a horse: a set of straps and cords that transmits motion to something else. On a Jacquard the harness is the cord bundle running down through the comber board, and the tie up of that harness is what fixes the pattern.
In use
Shuttle's catching because the harness isn't lifting clean on the second shed, so check the heddles before you blame the picker.
Written by our editors to show how the term is used, not a recorded quotation.