Velcro is the trade name for a fastening device made up of tiny hooks that mesh with tiny loops. Such fasteners are used in clothing, athletic and medical equipment, and automobile and airplane interiors. Velcro is a trademark of Velcro Industries, but many people use the word to refer to any hook-and-loop fastener. The name Velcro is a combination of velvet and crochet. Crochet is the French word for hook.
A Velcro fastener consists of two strips that are glued or sewed to the fabrics or other objects to be joined. Flexible hooks made of strong nylon or polyester thread cover one of the strips. A fuzzy mat of loops made of thinner threads covers the other. When pressed together, the hooks attach to the loops and form a strong bond. The strips can be easily separated by peeling them apart, and they can be joined and separated thousands of times.
Georges de Mestral, a Swiss engineer, got the idea for Velcro in the 1940’s while pulling burs from his trousers and his dog’s fur. He helped found Velcro Industries, which exclusively sold the fasteners until 1978, when the patent for Velcro expired.
