Meaning & use
interfacing
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Meanings
noununcountabletechnical
A stiffening material sewn or fused inside a garment to keep parts such as collars and cuffs firm and shaped.
Grammar: Uncountable: talk about "some interfacing" or "a piece of interfacing," not "an interfacing."
Patterns
- interfacing for something
- a piece of interfacing
- fuse interfacing to something
The tailor added interfacing to the collar so it would hold its shape.
You need a light interfacing for this thin cotton blouse.
Iron the interfacing onto the wrong side of the fabric before you sew the pieces together.
noununcountabletechnical
The activity of connecting two systems, devices, or groups so that they can work together.
Grammar: Uncountable and mainly used in technical writing: "the interfacing of the two networks."
Patterns
- the interfacing of something with something
- interfacing between something and something
The project focused on the interfacing of the hospital's old records system with the new one.
Careful interfacing between the software and the hardware prevented data loss.
verbintransitivetechnical
Present participle of interface: to connect or interact with another system, device, or person.
Grammar: Used after be or another verb to form continuous tenses: "the app is interfacing with the printer."
Patterns
- interfacing with something
The new module is interfacing with the main server without any problems.
She spent the morning interfacing with clients and engineers to fix the delay.
Word forms
| third person singular | interfaces |
|---|---|
| past tense | interfaced |
| past participle | interfaced |
| -ing form | interfacing |
Common combinations
- fusible interfacing
- Fusible interfacing saves time because you simply iron it on.
- iron-on interfacing
- Use iron-on interfacing to stiffen the waistband.
- a piece of interfacing
- Cut a piece of interfacing slightly smaller than the fabric.
- light interfacing
- Light interfacing works well for delicate fabrics.
- interfacing material
- The shop sells interfacing material by the meter.
Synonyms and how they differ
- stiffener
- A general word for anything that makes something rigid; interfacing is the specific sewing material used inside clothes.
- lining
- A lining is a full inner layer that covers the inside of a garment, while interfacing is a hidden stiffener placed only in certain areas.
- backing
- Backing supports fabric from behind, often in quilting; interfacing is used to shape and strengthen garment parts.
Word family
Commonly confused: interfacing or interference? interfacing or interfacing vs. inter facing?
interfacing vs interference
Interference means unwanted disruption, as in radio interference. Interfacing means connecting systems or adding stiffening material, so the two words sound alike but mean very different things.
interfacing vs interfacing vs. inter facing
Write it as one word. The spelling "inter facing" is a mistake; the correct form is "interfacing."
Practice
The tailor put some ________ inside the collar to keep it stiff.
Choose one answer.
"Interfacing" is the stiffening material used in sewing, which fits the collar context. "Interference" means unwanted disruption, and "interface" is a connection point or verb, so neither fits the material being sewn in.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “interfacing”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.