The New International Encyclopædia/Mohair

MO'HAIR (OF. mouhaire, mouaire, mohere, Fr. moire, from Ar. mukhayyar, fabric of goats' hair). The wool of the Angora goat (see Goat) of Asia Minor and South Africa. Few animals have so beautiful a covering as the fine, soft, silky, long, and always pure white wool of this goat. Each animal at the annual clip in April or May yields from two pounds to four pounds of wool. The fabric mohair made from this wool is characterized by its light weight, smooth, dust-shedding surface, and lustre. In pile fabrics, such as plushes and astrakhans, mohair is sometimes used for the pile-warp, while the body is made of cotton. The fabric known as camel's hair is made from the best mohair, which enters into the manufacture of many fabrics. Consult The Angora Goat (Farmers' Bulletin, No. 137, United States Department of Agriculture, Washington, 1901). For the production of mohair in the United States, see Wool.