thread (thr d)n. 1. a. Fine cord of a fibrous material, such as cotton or flax, made of two or more filaments twisted together and used in needlework and the weaving of cloth. b. A piece of such cord. 2. a. A thin strand, cord, or filament of natural or manufactured material. b. Something that suggests the fineness or thinness of such a strand, cord, or filament: a thread of smoke. c. Something that suggests the continuousness of such a strand, cord, or filament: lost the thread of his argument. 3. A helical or spiral ridge on a screw, nut, or bolt. 4. Computer Science a. A portion of a program that can run independently of and concurrently with other portions of the program. b. A set of posts on a newsgroup, composed of an initial post about a topic and all responses to it. 5. threads Slang Clothes. v. thread·ed, thread·ing, threads v.tr. 1. a. To pass one end of a thread through the eye of (a needle, for example). b. To pass (something) through in the manner of a thread: thread the wire through the opening. c. To pass a tape or film into or through (a device): thread a film projector. d. To pass (a tape or film) into or through a device. 2. To connect by running a thread through; string: thread beads. 3. a. To make one's way cautiously through: threading dark alleys. b. To make (one's way) cautiously through something. 4. To occur here and there throughout; pervade: "More than 90 geologic faults thread the Los Angeles area" (Science News). 5. To machine a thread on (a screw, nut, or bolt). v.intr. 1. To make one's way cautiously: threaded through the shoals and sandbars. 2. To proceed by a winding course. 3. To form a thread when dropped from a spoon, as boiling sugar syrup. [Middle English, from Old English thr  d; see ter -1 in Indo-European roots.]thread  er n. |
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