denier

A technical term referring to a unit of yarn number equal to the weight in grams of 9000 meters of the yarn. It is used for silk and man-made yarns in hosiery as a description of sheerness.The lower the denier number, the more sheer the stocking, panty hose, or garment. For instance, 40 denier hose are much finer and more sheer than 60 denier hose.