thread
Americannoun
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a fine cord of flax, cotton, or other fibrous material spun out to considerable length, especially when composed of two or more filaments twisted together.
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twisted filaments or fibers of any kind used for sewing.
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one of the lengths of yarn forming the warp or weft of a woven fabric.
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a filament or fiber of glass or other ductile substance.
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Ropemaking.
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any of a number of fibers twisted into a yarn.
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a yarn, especially as enumerated in describing small stuff.
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something having the fineness or slenderness of a filament, as a thin continuous stream of liquid, a fine line of color, or a thin seam of ore.
a thread of smoke.
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the helical ridge of a screw.
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that which runs through the whole course of something, connecting successive parts.
I lost the thread of the story.
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something conceived as being spun or continuously drawn out, as the course of life fabled to be spun, measured, and cut by the Fates.
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Digital Technology. a series of posts and responses on a message board or electronic mailing list that deal with the same subject and are grouped together.
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Slang. threads, clothes.
verb (used with object)
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to pass the end of a thread through the eye of (a needle).
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to fix (beads, pearls, etc.) upon a thread that is passed through; string.
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to pass continuously through the whole course of (something); pervade.
A joyous quality threaded the whole symphony.
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to make one's way through (a narrow passage, forest, crowd, etc.).
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to make (one's way) thus.
He threaded his way through the crowd.
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to form a thread on or in (a bolt, hole, etc.).
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to place and arrange thread, yarn, etc., in position on (a sewing machine, loom, textile machine, etc.).
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to remove (facial hair, especially eyebrow hair) by using a looped and twisted thread to roll over the hair and lift it from the follicles.
verb (used without object)
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to thread one's way, as through a passage or between obstacles.
They threaded carefully along the narrow pass.
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to move in a threadlike course; wind or twine.
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Cooking. (of boiling syrup) to form a fine thread when poured from a spoon.
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to remove facial hair, especially from the eyebrows, by using a looped and twisted thread.
noun
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a fine strand, filament or fibre of some material
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a fine cord of twisted filaments, esp of cotton, used in sewing, weaving, etc
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any of the filaments of which a spider's web is made
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any fine line, stream, mark, or piece
from the air, the path was a thread of white
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a helical groove in a cylindrical hole ( female thread ), formed by a tap or lathe tool, or a helical ridge on a cylindrical bar, rod, shank, etc ( male thread ), formed by a die or lathe tool
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a very thin seam of coal or vein of ore
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something acting as the continuous link or theme of a whole
the thread of the story
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the course of an individual's life believed in Greek mythology to be spun, measured, and cut by the Fates
verb
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(tr) to pass (thread, film, magnetic tape, etc) through (something)
to thread a needle
to thread cotton through a needle
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(tr) to string on a thread
she threaded the beads
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to make (one's way) through or over (something)
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(tr) to produce a screw thread by cutting, rolling, tapping, or grinding
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(tr) to pervade
hysteria threaded his account
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(intr) (of boiling syrup) to form a fine thread when poured from a spoon
Other Word Forms
- misthread verb
- rethread verb
- self-threading adjective
- threader noun
- threadless adjective
- threadlike adjective
Etymology
Origin of thread
before 900; (noun) Middle English threed, Old English thrǣd; cognate with Dutch draad, German Draht, Old Norse thrathr wire; (v.) Middle English threeden, derivative of the noun See throw
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
But Colas argues that there is a common thread.
From Barron's
But Colas argues that there is a common thread.
From Barron's
She added: "These AI images don't appear from nowhere – they're built from real disabled people's images, often without consent – and unmoderated comment threads turbocharge objectification and harassment."
From BBC
The Davenport brothers escaped from their spirit cabinet, but one of the professors discovered a piece of broken thread on the floor.
From Literature
Then, Neuralink uses a robot to insert microscopic threads into the brain.
From MarketWatch
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
