Float
A stretch of thread that passes over several crossing threads without binding down, seen as a loose strand on the back of patterned cloth.
Also: floats, float weave
Where a warp or weft thread skips over several threads before dipping under, the skipped part is a float. Floats are how satin gets its gloss and how patterns are formed in extra-weft weaving, where the motif thread lies on the surface and travels across the back between motifs. Long floats on the back may be left, or cut away in the weave called cutwork. Floats make cloth smooth and shiny, but they can catch and pull, so a saree with long floats should be handled with care.