Definition of Wool

Wool is the textile fiber obtained from sheep and certain other animals, including cashmere from goats, mohair from goats, qiviut from muskoxen, vicuña, alpaca, camel from animals in the camel family, and angora from rabbits.

Wool has several qualities that distinguish it from hair or fur: it is crimped, it is elastic, and it grows in staples (clusters). In the USA, the term wool is usually restricted to describing the fibrous protein derived from the specialized skin cells called follicles in sheep, although in the UK it may be used of any long curling fiber such as wood wool, wire wool, etc.