resist paste; dye-resistant starch
Technical term in traditional dyeing (e.g., katazome, yuzen). A starch paste applied to fabric to block dye and preserve a design.
In stencil dyeing, the areas where resist paste is applied remain white.
Glutinous rice is often used in the preparation of resist paste.
Standard kanji spelling for this technical term.
Variant spelling omitting the okurigana せ; less common but still used.
Compound of 伏せ (from 伏せる, 'to cover' or 'to hide') and 糊 ('paste, starch'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the term transparently describes a paste that covers and protects fabric areas from dye.