Definition
Fabric in its raw, unfinished state — woven or knitted but not yet bleached, dyed, coated, or otherwise treated. In aircraft work, greige refers to base fabric before any finishing process is applied.
Plain English
Cloth that has just come off the loom. It hasn't been cleaned, dyed, or coated yet — it's the plain starting material before anything is done to it.
Context Anchor
Seen in aircraft fabric-covering discussions when identifying fabric condition before finishing or treatment.
Derivation
From the French 'grège,' meaning raw or unbleached silk. The English spelling and pronunciation ('gray') reflect that the natural, untreated fabric often has a grayish or off-white tone.
Why Pilots Care
Using the correct greige fabric ensures the finished covering meets FAA strength and adhesion requirements for continued airworthiness.
Intuition Check
Greige does not simply mean gray-colored fabric. In this context, it means fabric that is still unfinished, regardless of its exact color.
Example Sentence 1
The polyester arrived in greige form, ready to be cut, fitted, and then finished with dope and primer.
Example Sentence 2
Approved greige cloth must be used so the final doped surface will develop the required tensile strength.