n.
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English strond
Date: 15th century
1 a : fibers or filaments twisted, plaited, or laid parallel to form a unit for further twisting or plaiting into yarn, thread, rope, or cordage b : one of the wires twisted together or laid parallel to form a wire rope or cable c : something (as a molecular chain) resembling a strand <a strand of DNA>
2 : an element (as a yarn or thread) of a woven or plaited material
3 : an elongated or twisted and plaited body resembling a rope <a strand of pearls>
4 : one of the elements interwoven in a complex whole <one strand of the novel's plot>