Tow (redirected from in tow)

tow¹

1. Informal (in motor racing, etc.) the act of taking advantage of the slipstream of another car (esp in the phrase get a tow)

2. short for ski tow

---

tow²

1. the fibres of hemp, flax, jute, etc., in the scutched state

2. synthetic fibres preparatory to spinning

3. the coarser fibres discarded after combing

---

tow [tō]

(engineering)

To haul by a rope or chain, for example, to haul a disabled ship by another vessel or an automotive vehicle by another vehicle.

To propel by pushing, as a tugboat piloting a ship.

(textiles)

The broken, short, matted fiber that is removed during separation of long fibers of flax, hemp, or jute,

A large number of continuous filaments collected in ropelike form without a definite twist.

The coarsest linen yarns used to make crash.

---

Tow 

the short fiber obtained after the cleaning of the fibrous wastes (mixtures of entangled fibers and scutch) that are formed in processing the flax and hemp stocks into long fiber on scutching machines. The cleaning of the wastes (the removal of the scutch) is done on a tow-cleaning machine equipped with a breaker, scutching drums, and a shaker. Tow is used in the textile industry for spinning coarse thick yarn.