noun
fuller
A person who cleans and thickens woolen cloth.
The fuller washes and pounds woolen cloth until it becomes dense.
Etymology
Latin fullo named a worker who cleaned and treated cloth. Fuller preserves that occupational meaning for someone who works woolen fabric to clean and thicken it.
More examples
- The weaver sends the finished cloth to a fuller for treatment.
- The fuller checks the cloth as it shrinks and thickens.
- Skilled fullers give woolen fabric a firm, even texture.