Spola

Spola is a feminine noun in Italian with several related uses in textile terminology and, more broadly, in figurative language. In its primary textile sense, spola refers to a spool or bobbin: a cylindrical object on which thread, yarn, or similar material is wound for storage and use. A length of thread drawn from a spola is described as unwound or spun from the spola, and the term is widely used by weavers, spinners, and seamstresses to denote both the spool itself and the quantity of thread it carries.

Historically, spola also designated a unit of length for yarn or thread, used by textile specialists. The exact length varied by region and era, reflecting local weaving practices and measurement standards. As a unit, it often appeared in trade, inventory, and workshop records.

In figurative use, spola can denote a back-and-forth movement or an alternating route, such as travel between two places or the routine of two tasks. The expression appears in historical or logistical descriptions of transport and trade, describing the flow of goods or people along a given path.

Beyond textile and figurative uses, the term may appear in lexicons as a general reference to winding or winding mechanisms associated with yarn and thread. Spola can also occur as a surname or place name in Romance-language regions, though such uses are relatively uncommon.

See also: spool, bobbin, weaving, textile terminology.