supercontractionn.
/ˌsuːpəkənˈtrakʃn/, /ˌsjuːpəkənˈtrakʃn/, U.S. /ˌsupərkənˈtrækʃ(ə)n/ Biochemistry and Textiles.
The contraction of a hair, protein fibre, etc., to considerably less than its original length after treatment with heat or chemicals.
ΘΚΠ
the world > space > extension in space > reduction in size or extent > [noun] > contraction > of hair or fibre
supercontraction1934
1934 W. T. Astbury & H. J. Woods in Philos. Trans. (Royal Soc.) A. 232 337 The appearance of the phenomenon of ‘super-contraction’ just described is perhaps the most striking manifestation of this change.
1954 P. Alexander & R. F. Hudson Wool iii. 75 Supercontraction of unstrained fibres was first observed by Speakman.
1993 Guardian 5 Aug. ii. 13/3 Spider silk's other almost unique property is supercontraction. It will shrink to less than 60 per cent of its original length when damp.
2002 J. W. S. Hearle in W. S. Simpson & G. H. Crawshaw Wool iv. 103 Irreversible supercontraction occurs when wool is immersed in a boiling solution of phenol or a lithium halide in water.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2012; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.1934