'Worsted' is a kind of woollen cloth — and also the yarn it is made from. What makes it 'worsted' is not the sheep but the making: the wool fibres are combed until they all lie the same way and the short ones are pulled out, then spun tight. The result is smooth, firm, hard-wearing cloth that holds a sharp crease, quite unlike the soft fluffy wool of a winter sweater.

'Worsted'「worsted」 是 a kind of woollen cloth一種毛料布——and而且也是 also the yarn它織成的那種毛紗 it is made from。What makes it讓它成為 'worsted'「worsted」的 is不是 not the sheep羊本身，but而是 the making做法：the wool fibres羊毛纖維 are combed被梳理，until直到 they all lie the same way全部都朝同一個方向排好，and而且 the short ones短的纖維 are pulled out被挑掉，then然後 spun tight被緊緊紡成紗。The result結果 是就是 smooth, firm, hard-wearing cloth滑順、結實、耐穿的布料，that它 holds a sharp crease能撐出筆挺的摺線，quite unlike跟……很不一樣 the soft fluffy wool冬天毛衣那種柔軟蓬鬆的毛料 of a winter sweater。

This is the wool of good suits, school uniforms, and business trousers. You will meet the word mostly in shops selling menswear, on clothing labels, in tailoring, and in older novels. Ordinary people in Taiwan or Britain do not use it in daily conversation; a tailor does.

This這 是 the wool of good suits, school uniforms, and business trousers用來做好西裝、學生制服、上班西裝褲的毛料。You你 will meet the word大概會在 mostly主要是 in shops selling menswear男裝店裡、on clothing labels衣服標籤上、in tailoring在裁縫的行業裡，and還有 in older novels在較舊的小說裡碰到這個字。Ordinary people一般人 in Taiwan or Britain不管台灣還是英國 do not use it in daily conversation不會在日常對話裡用它；a tailor裁縫師 does才會這樣用。

It works as a noun ("a suit made of worsted") and in front of another noun ("a worsted jacket", "worsted wool"). Knitters use it a little differently: for them 'worsted weight' is a standard middle thickness of yarn, and that meaning has spread beyond actual worsted wool.

It它 works as a noun可以當名詞用（"a suit made of worsted"「用精紡毛料做的西裝」）and而且 in front of another noun也可以放在另一個名詞前面（"a worsted jacket"「精紡毛料外套」、"worsted wool"「精紡毛」）。Knitters織毛線的人 use it用這個字 a little differently用法有點不一樣：for them對他們來說 'worsted weight'「worsted weight」 是 a standard middle thickness一種標準的中等粗細 of yarn毛線，and而 that meaning這個意思 has spread已經延伸出去 beyond超出了 actual worsted wool真正的精紡毛料的範圍。

The pronunciation is the trap and the joy of this word: it sounds like WUS-tid — the first part rhymes with 'puss', not with 'worse'. That is because it has nothing to do with 'worse' at all. It is named after Worstead, a town in Norfolk, England, which was a weaving centre in the Middle Ages.

The pronunciation發音 是 the trap and the joy這個字最讓人跌一跤也最有趣的地方 of this word：it它 sounds聽起來像 like WUS-tid「WUS-tid」——the first part前半段 rhymes with押韻的是 'puss'「puss」，not with而不是 'worse'「worse」。That這 是因為 because it它 has nothing to do with跟……完全無關 'worse'「worse」 at all完全無關。It它 is named以……命名 after Worstead一個叫 Worstead 的地方，a town in Norfolk, England英格蘭諾福克郡的一個小鎮，which它 was是 a weaving centre一個織布中心 in the Middle Ages在中世紀時。

Separately, and confusingly, 'worsted' is also the past form of the old verb 'worst', meaning to beat someone in a fight or argument ("he was worsted in the debate") — that one IS related to 'worse', and it is rare and old-fashioned. Same spelling, different word, different sound.

Separately, and confusingly另外讓人搞混的是，'worsted'「worsted」 is also也是 the past form過去式 of the old verb古老動詞 'worst'「worst」的過去式，meaning意思是 to beat someone在打鬥或爭論中 in a fight or argument擊敗某人（"he was worsted in the debate"「他在辯論中輸了」）——that one這個字 IS related to真的跟 'worse'「worse」有關係，and而且 it它 是 rare and old-fashioned罕見又老派。Same spelling拼法相同，different word卻是不同的字，different sound發音也不同。