Staple: The length of a cotton fiber. Short- to medium-staple
fibers are 5/8 to 1 1/4 inches in length, long-staple fibers are 1
1/4 to 1 1/2 inches, and extra-long-staple fibers are 1 1/2 inches
or longer.
Combed Cotton: Cotton with the short staples removed.
Pima Cotton: A generic name for extra-long-staple cotton grown in
the United States, Peru, Israel, or Australia. Pima can be up to
30 percent stronger than other domestically grown cottons.
Supima Cotton: A licensed trademark for 100 percent American-grown
pima cotton.
Thread Count: The number of threads per square inch of fabric.
Upland Cotton: A short- to medium-staple cotton grown primarily in
the United States.
