A

• Aranawa (Jp.) Straw/grass rope
• Artillery Loop (Jp. Yoroimusubi) knot with a loop on the bight
• Asa (Jp.) cannabis (Cannabis sativa); hemp (plant); hemp (fibre); linen; flax (fibre); jute (fibre)
• Asanawa (Jp.) any rope made from bast fibre (flax, hemp, jute)

B

• Baku (Ko. Jp. Zh.) orig. Han Chinese, restraint
• Balance (esp. twisted; cabled rope) the dynamics whereby yarns (and multiple ply yarn, if used), strands and rope is twisted together to counteract tensions and prevent eg. recoil
• Bark (esp. jute) hard, wiry, woody short filaments from the plant cane inner wall
• Bast Fibre durable filaments from the phloem of certain eudicot plants, especially flax, hemp and jute
• Batching a process used to spray an oil-water-emulsifier mixture onto jute filaments to aid softening ahead of yarn production
• Batching Oil oil used in the batching process
• Becket Bend see Sheet Bend
• Birdcaging fault where rope strands loosen and open from proper lay
• Bight (Jp. Gashira) the loop generally in the middle of a doubled rope
• Blemish (esp. jute) fibre damage caused by insects, bacteria, disease, etc.
• Book Knot (Jp. Honmusubi) see Reef Knot
• Bowline (Jp. Moyimusubi) knot used to make a non–slipping loop
• Braided forming by plaiting or weaving together strands
• Break (esp. natural fibre yarn) generally caused by breakage by loss of an impurity or mechanical fault in manufacturing, or by excessive twist dynamics
• Breaking In method of attempting to soften and smooth esp. jute rope by rubbing against a hard surface
• Breaking Strength (esp. rope) stress at which a rope fails. NB. (esp. bast fibre rope) the International Standards Organisation (ISO), Deutsches Institut für Normung (DIN), Japanese Standards Association (Ippan-zaidanhōjin Nihon Kikaku Kyōkai; JSA), etc. refrain from giving norms or standards for the breaking strengths of bast fibre ropes due to the incongruity of the medium used
• Butter blend of oil and wax used to condition jute rope
• Butterfly Loop (Jp. Cyukansyamusubi) alpine butterfly knot; lineman’s loop or rider forming a fixed loop in a rope

C

D

• Double Column Tie (Jp. Soucyūmusubi) single column tie with additional overhand knot forming a secure Reef Knot
• Drawing (esp. bast fibre) mechanical overlapping of combed filaments
• Dressing (esp. natural fibre rope) method of equating imbalance produced when rope has been damaged in use, eg. pushing finger/s between strands, by gripping/rubbing along the rope in both directions to try to regain balance
• Dust (esp. natural fibre rope) loose content picked up during production twisted into yarn/strand/rope

E

• End (Jp. Nawashiri) open rope ends (but not knots)

F

• Fence Lashing see Square Lashing
• Fibre material composed of filaments
• Filament individual fine thread; fibre or fibril
• Fisherman’s Knot (Jp. Tegusumusubi) knot to join two ropes of equal thickness consisting an overhand knot or double overhand knot by each rope round the other
• Foundation Rope (Jp. Motonawa) first rope being used
• French Knot (Jp. Tamadome) ornamental stitch of three or four loops
• Fundoshi (Jp.) loincloth; sash underwear
• Furoshiki (Jp.) wrapping cloth
• Futamusubi (Jp.) two half hitches

G

• Gashira (Jp.) top; head; loop, see Nawagashira
• Gekamusubi (Jp.) figure 8 double loop or surgical knot (ligature)
• Granny knot (Jp. Katatoki honmusubi) incorrect, insecure version of a reef knot where bights cross in the wrong direction

H

• Habijabi (Bengali) tangle; clump in a yarn
• Hachinojimusubi (Jp.) figure–of–eight knot
• Hakodome (Jp.) box knot or lashing
• Half Hitch (Jp. Hitomusubi; Katamusubi) overhand knot, where the rope end is brought over and under the standing part and slips easily along line around which it is made
• Hashi (Jp.) end of tie or rope
• Hawser (Jp. Tawara; Tsutsumi) bale of rope
• Hayanawa (Jp.) lit. fast rope; rapid tying
• Hessian (esp. jute yarn) medium weight yarn for weaving cloth, general packing, linoleum and carpet backing applications
• HG–CB High Grade-Clean Batch Tossa jute yarn batched with vegetable oil for longitudinal strength applications, eg. rope
• Hibarimusubi (Jp.) cow hitch; lark’s head
• Hitoetsugi (Jp.) sheep bend; sheet bend; becket bend; weaver’s knot or hitch
• Hitomusubi (Jp.) half hitch
• Hitotsumusubi (Jp.) overhand knot
• Honmusubi (Jp.) book knot
• Hunka (Bengali, esp. jute) hard/strong cuticle outer layer of plant that may be present in low quality yarn
• Hydrophilic (esp. jute) action of filament cells to absorb liquid (esp. water) generating fattening and shortening

I

• Imbalance (esp. natural fibre rope) produced when yarns (and multiple ply yarn, if used), strands and rope are imperfectly twisted together producing inequal tension/s, or when the rope has been damaged in use, eg. pushing finger/s between strands
• Ipponnawa (Jp.) lit. one rope; to tie using only one rope

J

• JBO Jute Batching Oil, a cheap, readily available petroleum–based mineral oil
• Jute Count British colonial imperial measurement of weight in pounds of 14,400 yards of yarn quantity

K

• Kakinemusubi (Jp.) fence or square lashing
• Kannuki (Jp.) see Latch
• Katamusubi (Jp.) see Slip Knot; Half Hitch
• Katatoki honmusubi (Jp.) Granny Knot
• Kazarinawa (Jp.) lit. decoration rope (without eroticism or sadomasochism)
• Kinbaku (Jp.) binding tightly; tight binding; sexual rope bondage
• Knurling series of bumps; knobs; knurls on the surface of twisted rope when manufactured from multiple–ply yarn
• Komamusubi (Jp.) Reef Knot
• Kannō (Jp.) sensuality; carnality
• Kannōnawa (Jp.) sensual/carnal rope; erotic rope: 1980s Nureki Chimuo
• Kusarinawa (Jp.) Chain Stitch; loop stitch
• Kutcha (Bengali) raw jute fibre local market grading system (Top, Middle, B-Bottom, C-Bottom and X-Bottom)

L

• Lark’s Head (Jp. Hibarimusubi) cow hitch, knot used to attach rope to object
• Latch (Jp. Kannuki) girding cinch
• Lay Ratio (also Lay Length) measurement of looseness/ tightness of rope twist
• Loop see Bight
• Loop Knot (Jp. Wakkadome) knot with a fixed eye, eg. Bowline
• Loop Stitch (Jp. Kusarinawa) see Chain Stitch
• Lustre radiance or luminous brightness of yarn or rope material

M

• Magnus Hitch (Jp. Sanjyūmusubi) similar to Clove Hitch, used to tie rope to a pole, spar or another line
• Maki (Jp.) to wind around; to wrap around; to coil around, (esp. Shibari) wrapping
• Makimusubi (Jp.) Clove Hitch
• Mamusubi (Jp.) Reef Knot
• Marlinespike Hitch (Jp. Tekomusubi) temporary knot used to attach a rod or rope to another to form a handle
• Marumusubi (Jp.) Circle Knot; Somerville bowline knot
• Mikinawa (Jp.) trunk rope dispersing weight in suspension
• Morah (esp. jute) bale of folded filaments
• Motonawa (Jp.) foundation; first rope being used
• Moyimusubi (Jp.) book knot; occ. bowline knot
• Mudanawa (Jp.) rope used purely for aesthetics
• Multiple–Ply single yarns, generally of lower fibre quality twisted together, eg. 2–ply, 3–ply, etc.
• Munter Hitch (Jp. Nodome; Nonojikake; Nonojitome) Italian hitch; crossing Hitch, adjustable knot to control friction
• Musubi (Jp.) knot

N

• Nawa (Jp.) cord; rope
• Nawagashira (Jp.) loop generally in the middle of a rope (see Gashira)
• Nawashiri (Jp.) rope ends (not knots)
• Nawasuji (Jp.) rope fibre; rope pattern
• Nodome (Jp.) Munter Hitch
• Nonojikake (Jp.) alternative name for Nodome
• Nonojitome (Jp.) alternative name for Nodome

O

• Obliquity slant; slope direction. Neither perpendicular nor parallel to yarn or rope
• Otokomusubi (Jp.) Square Knot
• Overhand Knot (Jp. Hitotsumusubi) (esp. natural fibre rope) stopper securing the end from fraying

P

• Parallel (esp. rope) parallel method of winding hawser
• Phloem (esp. bast fibres) vascular bundles forming plant tissue
• Piling (esp. jute) to stack morah bales into piles for set time to allow batching oil to penetrate and soften fibre
• Ply filaments twisted into yarn and, if multiple, the number of yarns twisted about themselves (as opposed to twisted into a strand)
• Pucca (Bengali) raw jute fibre international market grading system (BW–special, BW–A, BW–B, BW–C, BW–D, BW–E for White jute; BT–special, BT–A, BT–B, BT–C, BT–D and BT–E for Tossa jute)

R

• Recoil (esp. twisted; cabled rope) dynamic whereby yarns (and multiple ply yarn, if used), strands and rope are imperfectly twisted together producing unequal tension
• Reef Knot (Jp. Komamusubi; Mamusubi; Otokomusubi) square knot; book knot, binding knot used to secure rope around an object; rope
• Retting soaking in water to aid removal of fibre from woody tissue
• Ring Knot (Jp. Wadome) water knot; tape knot; ring bend; grass knot; overhand follow–through used to join two ends together
• Rolling Hitch see Magnus hitch
• Rope line or cord commonly twisted or braided from strands of yarn
• Root (esp. jute fibre) significantly weaker material runners from plant root grown under the soil surface in wet or damp conditions
• Runner (esp. jute fibre) lengths of root material present in filaments and fibre

S

• Sacking (esp. jute yarn) low grade medium/heavy yarns used for sacks and bags
• Sanjyūmusubi (Jp.) Magnus Hitch
• Seme (Jp.) torture; torment; persecution; sadomasochism, equiv. SM; S&M (1970s)
• Semenawa (Jp.) sadomasochistic rope: 1980s Nureki Chimuo
• Sheep Bend see Sheet Bend
• Sheet Bend (Jp. Hitoetsugi) sheep bend; becket bend; weaver’s knot or hitch, knot for joining ropes of differing diameter
• Shibari (Jp.) binding
• Singeing (esp. jute rope) burning off filament hairs in clean blue flame
• Single Column Tie unidirectional lashing knot
• Single–Ply yarn of fibres twisted about itself representing the cleanest form for rope–making
• Slip Knot (Jp. Katamusubi; Katamusubi) see Half Hitch
• Slither (esp. jute) ribbon of post–carded and drawn filaments ready for twisting into yarn
• Somerville Bowline see Circle Knot
• Soucyūmusubi (Jp.) Double column Tie
• Speck (esp. jute) small spots; areas damaged by bacteria, insects, etc.
• Spool see Hawser
• Square Knot (Jp. Otokomusubi) see Reef Knot
• Square Lashing (Jp. Kakinemusubi) also fence lashing, used to bind spars at right angles to another
• Stem (Jp. Michinawa) road/path rope vertical over the spine
• Stop (Jp. Tome) fastener
• Strand one of a number of yarns twisted together to form rope
• Stranding where a strand slips around the lay and projects above the surface due to irregularity in length with other strands
• S-Twist (rope) left-handed twist/lay

T

• Taba (Jp.) bundle of rope, commonly secured when not in use
• Tegusumusubi (Jp.) Fisherman’s Knot
• Tekkamusubi (Jp.) Clove Hitch
• Tekomusubi (Jp.) Marlinespike Hitch
• Thistle Knot Matthew Walker’s knot (Royal Navy 1808) decorative knot to prevent rope end from fraying
• Tome (Jp.) stop; fastener
• Tossa (Jp. Ouma) golden; yellow; nalta, corchorus olitorius variety of jute
• TPI Twist per Inch, British Imperial measurement of the number of rotations in yarn, strands and rope
• Trunk (Jp. Mikinawa) rope to disperse weight in suspension
• Tsubaki Oil camellia oil; tea seed oil from seeds of the camellia japonica plant
• Tsukamaki (Jp.) wrapping the end of the rope around a stem, see Maki
• Tumble Drying (esp. jute rope) process method to dislodge loose fibre and/or blend in oil–wax butter for conditioning
• Twine thread or string of thick yarn strands twisted together
• Twist looseness/tightness a rope is twisted (see Lay Ratio)

V

• VOT Vegetable Oil Treatment, plant–based alternative to petroleum mineral–based JBO

W

• Wakkadome (Jp.) Loop knot or binding
• Waste (esp. natural fibre rope) foreign bodies, often picked up into yarn or rope during manufacturing
• Weaver’s Knot/Hitch see Sheet Bend
• White Jute (Jp. Coma) corchorus capsularis variety of jute
• Whipping (esp. rope) cord, thread, twine, etc. wound about the end of rope to prevent unravelling

X

• Xylem (esp. jute) woody central strong core of the plant

Y

• Yarn (esp. rope) thread of aggregate of fibres twisted into twine or strands then twisted into rope
• Yarn Weight see Jute Count

Z

• Z-Twist (rope) right-handed twist/lay