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A trodden way; a footway. The dewy paths of meadows we will tread. Dryden.

e way of righteousness is life; and in the pathway thereof is no death. Prov. xii. 28. We tread the pathway arm in arm. Sir W. Scott.

n the pianoforte to raise the dampers, or in the organ to open and close certain pipes; a treadle, as in a lathe or a bicycle.

Moved or worked by the action of the foot or feet on a pedal or treadle.

gh roads and to approximate to the smoothness in running of a wheel on a metal track. The tread consists of a number of rubber shod feet which are connected by ball-and-socket joints to the ends of sliding spokes. Each spoke has attached to it a small roller which in its turn runs under a short pivoted rail controlled…

The track or tread a horseman makes upon the ground he goes over. Johnson.

or the edge of a board; especially, a rectangular groove to receive the end of a shelf or tread, the edge of a panel, a tongue, etc. To plow in, to cover by plowing; as, to plow in wheat. -- To plow up, to turn out of the ground by plowing.plow ahead, to continue in spite of obstacles or resistence by others.…

To indicate the presence of game by fixed and steady look, as certain hunting dogs do. He treads with caution, and he points with fear. Gay.

ch the work is turned by means of a cord passing around it, one end being fastened to the treadle, and the other to an elastic pole above. -- Pole mast (Naut.), a mast formed from a single piece or from a single tree. -- Pole of a lens (Opt.), the point where the principal axis meets the surface. -- Pole plate (Arch…

A young hen, or female of the domestic fowl. Pullet sperm, the treadle of an egg. [Obs.] Shak.

ail That crawls at evening in the public path; But he that has humanity, forewarned, Will tread aside, and let the reptile live. Cowper.

The upright piece of a step, from tread to tread. Hence:

To slide; to lose one's footing or one's hold; not to tread firmly; as, it is necessary to walk carefully lest the foot should slip.

s, as distinguished from tragedy, which is symbolized by the buskin. Great Fletcher never treads in buskin here, Nor greater Jonson dares in socks appear. Dryden.

eel drives a single spindle, and is itself driven by the hand, or by the foot acting on a treadle.

One of the longitudinal pieces, supporting the treads and rises of a flight or run of stairs.

with a straw. Pope. Such a nature Tickled with good success, disdains the shadow Which he treads on at noon. Shak.

imp. of Tread. Chaucer.

imp. of Tread.

To tread down, as grass, by walking through it; to lay flat. Longfellow.