Thread /(thrĕd)/

Thread

n.
  1. A very small twist of flax, wool, cotton, silk, or other fibrous substance, drawn out to considerable length; a compound cord consisting of two or more single yarns doubled, or joined together, and twisted; also, one fiber of a cord composed of multiple fibers.
  2. A filament of any substance, as of glass, gold or silver; a filamentous part of an object, such as a flower; a component fiber of any or of any fibrous substance, as of bark.
  3. The prominent part of the spiral of a screw or nut; the rib. See Screw, n., 1.
  4. Something continued in a long course or tenor; a recurrent theme or related sequence of events in a larger story; as the thread of a story, or of life, or of a discourse. (Fig.)
  5. Fig.: Composition; quality; fineness. [Obs.]
    A neat courtier, Of a most elegant thread.
  6. A related sequence of instructions or actions within a program that runs at least in part independent of other actions within the program; -- such threads are capable of being executed only in oprating systems permittnig multitasking. (Computers)
  7. A sequence of messages posted to an on-line newsgroup or discussion group, dealing with the same topic; -- messages in such a thread typically refer to a previous posting, thus allowing their identification as part of the thread. Some news-reading programs allow a user to follow a single such thread independent of the other postings to that newsgroup. (Computers)

Phrases & Compounds
Air thread
the fine white filaments which are seen floating in the air in summer, the production of spiders; gossamer.
Thread and thrum
the good and bad together.
Thread cell
a lasso cell. See under Lasso.
Thread herring
the gizzard shad. See under Gizzard.
Thread lace
lace made of linen thread.
Thread needle
a game in which children stand in a row, joining hands, and in which the outer one, still holding his neighbor, runs between the others; -- called also thread the needle.

Thread

v. t.

imp. & p. p. Threaded; p. pr. & vb. n. Threading

  1. To pass a thread through the eye of; as, to thread a needle.
  2. To pass or pierce through as a narrow way; also, to effect or make, as one's way, through or between obstacles; to thrid.
    Heavy trading ships . . . threading the Bosphorus.
    — Mitford.
    They would not thread the gates.
  3. To form a thread, or spiral rib, on or in; as, to thread a screw or nut.