To form beforehand, or for special ends.

Form or shape beforehand.

An assembly of dry fabric and fibers which has been prepared for one of several different wet resin injection processes. A preform may be stitched or stabilized in some other way to hold its shape. A commingled preform may contain thermoplastic fibers and may be consolidated by elevated temperature and pressure without resin injection.

A glass structure from which an optical fibre waveguide may be drawn.

The large diameter glass rod from which fiber is drawn.

The glass rods from which an optical fiber waveguide is drawn.

An early preliminary stage in the reduction manufacture of a flaked stone artifact.

an unfinished tool - a blank set up to make something out of

an unfinished, unused form of the proposed artifact

a rough outline of what the finished gem will look like

This is the state that a point is in at any stage before it is a finished. Sometimes a cache will contain many preforms that only need some final edgework or notching to be finished tools.

See “BREAKDOWN

The textile component of a composite material