emery-cloth
Definition
Noun: Emery-cloth is a type of abrasive material consisting of a cloth backing coated with emery powder. It is used for smoothing, polishing, or cleaning surfaces, especially in woodworking and metalworking.
Usage Examples
- (The abrasive cloth was applied to polish the surface.)
- (The cloth’s abrasive coating cleaned the metal.)
Advanced Usage
- "to work with emery-cloth": to use this abrasive material for finishing or preparing a surface.
- She worked with emery-cloth on the car’s body before painting. (She smoothed the surface with the abrasive cloth.)
Variants and Related Words
- Emery (n): a hard granular mineral used as an abrasive.
- The emery powder is glued onto the cloth to create emery-cloth. (The mineral is the abrasive component.)
- Emery paper (n): a similar abrasive material with a paper backing instead of cloth.
- Emery paper is often used for finer sanding tasks. (Paper-based abrasive.)
Synonyms
- Abrasive cloth: a general term for cloth coated with abrasive material.
- Sandpaper: a related abrasive paper, though not cloth-based.
Phrasal Verbs
- None directly associated with "emery-cloth," but it is often used in the phrase "rub with emery-cloth":
- Rub the surface with emery-cloth to achieve a smooth finish. (Apply the abrasive cloth in a rubbing motion.)
Related Idioms
- None specific to "emery-cloth." However, the word is used in technical contexts rather than idiomatic expressions.