1 [U,C] a thin string of cotton, wool, silk, etc. used for sewing or making fabric:
a needle and thread * a robe embroidered with gold thread * the delicate threads of a spider's web
2 [C] an idea or a feature that is part of sth greater; an idea that connects the different parts of sth:
A common thread runs through these discussions. * The author skilfully draws together the different threads of the plot. * I lost the thread of the argument (= I could no longer follow it).
3 [VN] [C] ~ (of sth) a long thin line of sth:
A thread of light emerged from the keyhole. * a silvery thread of water
4 [C] the raised line that runs around the length of a screw and that allows it to be fixed in place by twisting
5 (threads) [pl.] (old-fashioned, AmE, slang) clothes
IDIOMS see HANGv., PICKv.
Part of speech: verb
1 [VN] [usually +adv./prep.] to pass sth long and thin, especially thread, through a narrow opening or hole:
to thread a needle (with cotton) * to thread cotton through a needle * A tiny wire is threaded through a vein to the heart.
2 [+adv./prep.] to move or make sth move through a narrow space, avoiding things that are in the way:
[V] The waiters threaded between the crowded tables. * [VN] It took me a long time to thread my way through the crowd.
3 to join two or more objects together by passing sth long and thin through them:
to thread beads (onto a string) * Thread the cubes of meat and vegetables onto metal skewers.
4 [VN] to pass film, tape, string, through parts of a piece of equipment so that it is ready to use
5 [VN] [usuallypassive] to sew or weave a particular type of thread into sth:
a robe threaded with gold and silver
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About this entry
This is a English–English dictionary entry.
Sourced from Main Dictionary in Lughet's collection.
This word also appears under other sources in Lughet's collection — see the list below.
This entry for thread is sourced from Main Dictionary, one of the dictionaries and corpora merged into Lughet.
Is thread a noun, verb, or something else?
In this entry, thread is tagged as noun.
Does thread appear elsewhere on Lughet?
Yes — thread appears under other sources or language pairs in Lughet's collection. See the list below.
What is Lughet?
Lughet is a free trilingual dictionary covering nearly five million entries across Uyghur, Chinese, and English, drawn from more than ten source dictionaries and corpora.
