I. thread 1 /θred/ BrE AmE noun
[ Language: Old English ; Origin: thræd ]
1 . FOR SEWING [uncountable and countable] a long thin string of cotton, silk etc used to sew or weave cloth:
I’m looking for a needle and thread.
hand-sewn with gold and silver thread
a spool of thread (=small object that thread is wound around)
2 . IDEAS [singular] an idea, feeling, or feature that connects the different parts of an explanation, story etc:
a common thread running within his work
His mind wandered, and he lost the thread of what she was saying (=was no longer able to understand it) .
a thread running through the film
thread of
a thread of spirituality in her work
3 . pick up the thread(s) to begin something again after a long period, especially a relationship or way of life:
They had known each other as children, and were picking up the threads of their friendship.
4 . INTERNET [countable] a series of messages concerning the same subject, written by members of an Internet discussion group:
I’d like to refer to something that was posted in an earlier thread.
5 . LINE [countable] literary a long thin line of something, such as light, smoke etc
thread of
The Colorado River was just a thread of silver, 4000 feet below.
6 .
ON A SCREW [countable] a continuous raised line of metal that winds around the curved surface of a screw
7 . threads [plural] American English old-fashioned clothes
⇨ hang by a thread at ↑ hang 1 (9)
II. thread 2 BrE AmE verb [transitive usually + adverb/preposition]
1 . to put a thread, string, rope etc through a hole:
Will you thread the needle for me?
thread something through something
Tom threaded the rope through the safety harness.
2 . to put a film, tape etc correctly through parts of a camera, ↑ projector , or ↑ tape recorder
3 . to connect two or more objects by pushing something such as string through a hole in them:
Sue threaded the glass beads onto a piece of heavy string.
4 . thread your way through/into something etc to move through a place by carefully going around things that are blocking your way:
She came towards me, threading her way through the crowd.