Used as a verb – To arrange threads in long lengths parallel to one another preparatory to further processing.
Note: In addition to beaming the following methods of warping are practised; ball warping, cross-ball warping, and chain warping. The primary stage of these methods of warping is withdrawal of ends from a warping creel and their assembly in rope form, a form that may conveniently be used for wet processing. For convenience of handling, this rope may be (a) wound into a ball (ball warping), (b) machine-wound on to a wooden roller into a cross-ball cheese (cross-ball or cheese warping), or (c) shortened into a link chain (chain warping). A number of these ropes may be assembled into a complete warp on a beam or may be split and dressed and incorporated in warps made by other methods.
Textile Resource (http://www.textile.org.uk)
