mercerise
/ˈmɜːrsəraɪz/
verb
- To treat cotton fabric or thread with a chemical (usually sodium hydroxide) to make it stronger, more lustrous, and easier to dye.
- If you mercerise the thread, it will have a beautiful silky shine.
- The factory uses a special process to mercerise the cotton before weaving it into shirts.
- Artisans often mercerise their materials to achieve a higher quality finish.