What does fique mean?
Fique is a strong, white natural fibre obtained from the leaves of Furcraea andina, a large spiky agave relative cultivated chiefly in the Colombian Andes. The fibre is stripped from the fleshy leaves by hand or machine and then dried, producing a material valued for rope, twine, sacks, upholstery stuffing, and traditional handicrafts such as hammocks and hats. The word refers both to the fibre itself and to the plant that yields it, though in practice it most often denotes the fibre as a commercial commodity. Fique occupies much the same economic role in Colombia that sisal does elsewhere, and the two are often mentioned together as coarse vegetable fibres. Outside agricultural and textile contexts the term is rare, but it remains important to rural economies in South America, where fique cultivation is a centuries-old tradition and the plant's dramatic flowering stalks are a familiar feature of highland landscapes.
A strong white fibre obtained from the leaves of the South American plant Furcraea andina, used for rope, cordage, sacks, and handicrafts.
"The weavers dyed the fique in vivid colours before knotting it into bags."
Usually treated as a mass noun when referring to the fibre.
The plant Furcraea andina itself, a spiky agave relative cultivated in the Colombian Andes.
"Each fique sends up a single towering flower stalk before it dies."
Rare; the plural applies only to the plants themselves. When denoting the fibre, fique functions as an uncountable mass noun.
"The hillside plantation held hundreds of mature fiques."
Fique shares its linguistic roots with 'hurricane' and 'barbecue' — both words travelled into English from Taíno, the language of the Caribbean people who first named this spiny fibre plant.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of fique
Fique entered English via Spanish, which borrowed the word from a Caribbean indigenous source; it is generally traced to Taíno, the Arawakan language of the native peoples of the Caribbean, making it a linguistic cousin of English borrowings such as hurricane, canoe, and barbecue. The word came to be applied specifically to the Furcraea plants of northwestern South America, whose fibre was exploited long before European arrival. It remains most closely associated with Colombian agriculture today.
How fique is actually used
A specialist term, encountered mainly in discussions of agriculture, textiles, and Colombian exports. In everyday English it is rare; speakers outside the trade are more likely to know its close cousin sisal. Plural usage is uncommon; the word usually appears as a mass noun referring to the fibre.
Easily confused with fique
Chique is an obsolete spelling of 'chic' meaning stylishly elegant, whereas fique refers to a South American fibre plant and has no connection to fashion sense.