Velcro

Velcro is a brand name and trademark owned by the Velcro Companies for hook-and-loop fasteners.^[1] Hook-and-loop fasteners have a "hook" side, which is a piece of fabric covered with tiny hooks, and a "loop" side, which is covered with even smaller and "hairier" loops. When the two sides are pressed together, the hooks catch in the loops and hold the pieces together.^[2]

hooks (left) and loops (right).

Creation

The hooks on a piece of Velcro imitate the hooks found on burrs.

The person who invented hook-and-loop was a scientist named George de Mestral.^[3][4][5][6] During a hunting vacation in Switzerland, de Mestral came home one evening and tried to remove the burrs stuck to his dog's fur. He was very surprised to see how hard the burrs were to remove. That night he studied the burrs under a microscope and noticed that each burr was covered with hundreds of small hooks acting like grasping hands.^[6] De Mestral decided that this burr could be made to close fabric instead of buttons and zippers.^[6]

Vocabulary

George de Mestral created the Velcro trademark by combining the French words for velvet (velour) and hook (crochet).^[6]