thread /thred/

1. A very thin line of any substance, esp linen or cotton, twisted or drawn out
2. Several strands of yarn twisted together for sewing
3. A filament
4. A fibre
5. (in pl) clothes (slang)
6. The prominent spiral part of a screw
7. A continuous connecting element in a story, argument, etc
8. A thin seam of coal or vein of ore
9. A series of postings on an Internet message board, each concerning the same subject

1. To pass a thread through
2. To string on a thread
3. To pass through, make (one's way) through (a narrow way, a crowd, obstacles, etc)
4. To fit or supply with a thread

(of boiling syrup) to form a fine strand when poured

Made of linen or cotton thread

threadˈen adjective (Shakespeare)

Made of thread

threadˈer noun

threadˈiness noun

threadˈlike adjective

threadˈy adjective (threadˈier; threadˈiest)

1. Like thread or threads
2. Slender
3. Containing or consisting of thread
4. (of the pulse) barely perceptible (medicine)

threadˈbare adjective

1. Worn to the bare thread
2. Having the nap worn off
3. Poor or meagre
4. Shabby
5. Hackneyed
6. Used until its novelty or interest is gone

threadˈbareness noun

threadˈ-cell noun

(in jellyfishes, etc) a stinging cell that throws out a stinging thread

thread count noun

A measure of the coarseness or fineness of fabric, corresponding to the total number of warp and weft threads in one square inch

threadˈfin noun

Any small, spiny-finned tropical fish of the family Polynemidae, with five threads on its pectoral fins

threadˈ-lace noun

Lace made of linen thread

threadˈmaker noun

thread mark noun

A coloured thread incorporated in banknotes to make counterfeiting difficult

threadˈ-paper noun

A piece of thin soft paper for wrapping up a skein of thread

thread vein noun

A very fine vein on the surface of the skin, esp on the face

threadˈworm noun

Any member of the Nematoda, a phylum of more or less threadlike worms, many of which are parasitic, esp Oxyuris vermicularis, parasitic in the human rectum

hang by a thread see under hang

thread and thrum

All, the good and bad together

thread of life (Gr myth)

The thread imagined to be spun and cut by the Fates

• triptans
• tripterous
• trip the light fantastic
• triptote
• triptotes
• triptych
• triptychs
• triptyque
• triptyques
• tripudia
• tripudiary
• tripudiate
• tripudiated
• tripudiates
• tripudiating
• tripudiation
• tripudiations
• tripudium
• tripudiums
• trip up someone's heels
• tripwire
• tripwires
• tripy
• triquetra
• triquetrae