denier
Unit used in measuring the fineness of yarns, equal to the mass in grams of 9,000 metres of yarn. Thus 9,000 metres of 15 denier nylon, used in nylon stockings, weighs 15 g/0.5 oz, and in this case the thickness of thread would be 0.00425 mm/0.0017 in. The term is derived from the French silk industry; the denier was an old French silver coin.
| In the USA and Canada a unit called the drex, equal to the mass of 10,000 metres is used. The tex, equal to the mass of 1,000 metres, is the most common unit in the textile industry. |
