Gauze is a thin, open cloth made of cotton, silk, rayon, or synthetic fibers. Gauze probably takes its name from the ancient city of Gaza in Palestine, where this type of cloth was first made. The threads are woven in a special way called leno, or gauze, weaving. In leno weave, the warp threads (threads running lengthwise on the loom) are always in pairs. The pairs of lengthwise threads are twisted together each time they are crossed by the filling threads (crosswise threads). This method of weaving keeps the threads at an equal distance apart but holds them in place.
Leno weave is used in making mosquito netting, thin fabrics called marquisettes, and the bolting cloth with which flour is sifted in mills. Surgical gauze, also called hospital gauze, is a cheesecloth in a plain weave. The name gauze is also given to various sheer curtain fabrics.
