noun
wire rod; wire
Refers to wire as a material or product, especially in industrial contexts such as steel wire rod used for drawing or manufacturing.
この工場では線材を加工して針金を作っている。
This factory processes wire rod to make wire.
Standard kanji form for wire rod or wire material.
Compound of 線 (line, wire) and 材 (material, lumber). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the word is a straightforward technical term.