THREAD

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.

A filament, as of a flower, or of any fibrous substance, as of bark; also, a line of gold or silver.

The prominent part of the spiral of a screw or nut; the rib. See Screw, n., 1.

Fig.: Something continued in a long course or tenor; a,s the thread of life, or of a discourse. Bp. Burnet.

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.

To pass a thread through the eye of; as, to thread a needle.

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. Shak.

To form a thread, or spiral rib, on or in; as, to thread a screw or nut.