A textile is any kind of woven, knitted, knotted (as in macrame) or tufted cloth, or a non-woven fabric (a cloth made of fibers that have been bonded into a fabric, e.g. felt).
Textile also refers to the yarns, threads and wools that can be spun, woven, tufted, tied and otherwise used to manufacture cloth. The production of textiles is an ancient art, whose speed and scale of production has been altered almost beyond recognition by mass-production and the introduction of modern manufacturing techniques. An ancient Roman weaver would have no problem recognizing a plain weave, twill, or satin.

Many textiles have been in use for millennia, while others use artificial fibers and are recent inventions. The range of fibers has increased in the last 100 years. The first synthetics were made in the 1920s and 1930s.

Textiles can be made from a variety of materials. The following is a partial list of the materials that can be used to make textiles.

Animal origin

Alpacca
Angora rabbit hair
Camel hair
Cashmere
Mohair
Silk
Vicuana hair
Wool : divided into woollen and worsted
Vegetable
Bark cloth has various uses, and is used in sheets.
Coir: the fibre from coconuts.
Cotton
Grass, rush and straw
Hemp (mostly used in rope making)
Jute
Kapok
Linen, made from flax
Nettle: processed in a similar manner to flax.
Ramie
Seaweed: a water soluble fibre (alginate) is produced. This is used as a holding fibre in the production of certain textiles: when the cloth is finished the alginate is dissolved, leaving an open area.
Sisal
Derived from plant products
Paper