coir
3 synonyms for coir, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Noun — A coarse, springy fibre taken from the husk of the coconut, used to make rope, matting, doormats, brushes and a peat-free growing medium for plants.
Synonyms
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
coconut fibre
coco fibre
coco peat
How to use coir
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
coir matting
coir doormat
coir rope
coir compost
block of coir
Neutral. Everyday in gardening, textile and flooring contexts.
Etymology
From Malayalam kayar 'cord, rope', related to the verb meaning 'to be twisted'; the word reached English through Portuguese traders in India.
Full origin of coir →Frequently asked questions
How do you pronounce coir?
It is usually said as KOY-uhr, rhyming roughly with 'lawyer' in many British accents. A single-syllable pronunciation like 'coy' is also heard in the horticultural trade.
What is the difference between coir and peat?
Peat is decomposed bog vegetation dug from wetlands, while coir is a by-product of coconut processing. Gardeners increasingly use coir because harvesting peat destroys carbon-rich bogs, though coir holds water differently and contains fewer nutrients.
What is coir used for?
Traditionally for rope, doormats, matting, brushes and mattress stuffing, because the fibre is stiff, salt-resistant and slow to rot. In modern gardening, the finer coco peat grade is used as a soil substitute in pots and hydroponics.
