THREAD

Definitions

1. 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.
2. 2. A filament, as of a flower, or of any fibrous substance, as of bark; also, a line of gold or silver.
3. 3. The prominent part of the spiral of a screw or nut; the rib. See Screw, n., 1.
4. 4. Fig.: Something continued in a long course or tenor; a,s the thread of life, or of a discourse. Bp. Burnet.
5. 5. Fig.: Composition; quality; fineness. [Obs.] A neat courtier, Of a most elegant thread. B. Jonson. 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. [Obs.] Shak. -- Thread cell (Zoöl.), a lasso cell. See under Lasso. -- Thread herring (Zoöl.), 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.