*threa*

{ , a. [ L. erythraeus; Gr. &unr_;, fr. 'eryqro`s red. ] Red in color. “The erythrean main.” Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ . } See under 2d Pack. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A strong three-ply thread or small twine used to sew or tie packs or packages. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. [ OE. threed, þred, AS. þr&aemacr_;d; akin to D. draad, G. draht wire, thread, OHG. drāt, Icel. þrāðr a thread, Sw. tråd, Dan. traad, and AS. þrāwan to twist. See Throw, and cf. Third. ] 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; also, one fiber of a cord composed of multiple fibers. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A filament of any substance, as of glass, gold or silver; a filamentous part of an object, such as a flower; a component fiber of any or of any fibrous substance, as of bark. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. The prominent part of the spiral of a screw or nut; the rib. See Screw, n., 1. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. (Fig.) Something continued in a long course or tenor; a recurrent theme or related sequence of events in a larger story; as the thread of a story, or of life, or of a discourse. Bp. Burnet. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. Fig.: Composition; quality; fineness. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

A neat courtier,
Of a most elegant thread. B. Jonson. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. (Computers) A related sequence of instructions or actions within a program that runs at least in part independent of other actions within the program; -- such threads are capable of being executed only in oprating systems permittnig multitasking. [ PJC ]

7. (Computers) A sequence of messages posted to an on-line newsgroup or discussion group, dealing with the same topic; -- messages in such a thread typically refer to a previous posting, thus allowing their identification as part of the thread. Some news-reading programs allow a user to follow a single such thread independent of the other postings to that newsgroup. [ PJC ]

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 (Zool.), a lasso cell. See under Lasso. --
Thread herring (Zool.), 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. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Threaded; p. pr. & vb. n. Threading. ] 1. To pass a thread through the eye of; as, to thread a needle. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To pass or pierce through as a narrow way; also, to effect or make, as one's way, through or between obstacles; to thrid. [ 1913 Webster ]

Heavy trading ships . . . threading the Bosphorus. Mitford. [ 1913 Webster ]

They would not thread the gates. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To form a thread, or spiral rib, on or in; as, to thread a screw or nut. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. 1. Worn to the naked thread; having the nap worn off; threadbare clothes. “A threadbare cope.” Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Fig.: Worn out; as, a threadbare subject; stale topics and threadbare quotations. Swift. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The state of being threadbare. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Made of thread; as, threaden sails; a threaden fillet. [ Obs. ] Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. A device for assisting in threading a needle. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A tool or machine for forming a thread on a screw or in a nut. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Zool.) Any one of several species of fishes belonging to Polynemus and allied genera. They have numerous long pectoral filaments. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Zool.) (a) The cutlass fish. (b) A carangoid fish (Caranx gallus, or Caranx crinitus) having the anterior rays of the soft dorsal and anal fins prolonged in the form of long threads. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Quality of being thready. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. pl. Clothes; clothing; as, he was wearing his new threads at the party. [ Slang ] [ PJC ]

a. Having the form of a thread; filiform. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Zool.) Any long, slender nematode worm, especially the pinworm and filaria. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. 1. Like thread or filaments; slender; as, the thready roots of a shrub. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Containing, or consisting of, thread. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Threaped p. pr. & vb. n. Threaping. ] [ AS. þreápian to reprove. ] [ Written also threpe, and threip. ] 1. To call; to name. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To maintain obstinately against denial or contradiction; also, to contend or argue against (another) with obstinacy; to chide; as, he threaped me down that it was so. [ Prov. Eng. & Scot. ] Burns. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To beat, or thrash. [ Prov. Eng. ] Halliwell. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. To cozen, or cheat. [ Prov. Eng. ] Halliwell. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. To contend obstinately; to be pertinacious. [ Prov. Eng. & Scot. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

It's not for a man with a woman to threap. Percy's Reliques. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. An obstinate decision or determination; a pertinacious affirmation. [ Prov. Eng. & Scot. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

He was taken a threap that he would have it finished before the year was done. Carlyle. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ AS. þreát, akin to āþreótan to vex, G. verdriessen, OHG. irdriozan, Icel. þrjōta to fail, want, lack, Goth. usþriutan to vex, to trouble, Russ. trudite to impose a task, irritate, vex, L. trudere to push. Cf. Abstruse, Intrude, Obstrude, Protrude. ] The expression of an intention to inflict evil or injury on another; the declaration of an evil, loss, or pain to come; menace; threatening; denunciation. [ 1913 Webster ]

There is no terror, Cassius, in your threats. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. & i. [ OE. þreten, AS. þreátian. See Threat, n. ] To threaten. [ Obs. or Poetic ] Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

Of all his threating reck not a mite. Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

Our dreaded admiral from far they threat. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Threatened p. pr. & vb. n. Threatening. ] [ OE. þretenen. See Threat, v. t. ] 1. To utter threats against; to menace; to inspire with apprehension; to alarm, or attempt to alarm, as with the promise of something evil or disagreeable; to warn. [ 1913 Webster ]

Let us straitly threaten them, that they speak henceforth to no man in this name. Acts iv. 17. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To exhibit the appearance of (something evil or unpleasant) as approaching; to indicate as impending; to announce the conditional infliction of; as, to threaten war; to threaten death. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

The skies look grimly
And threaten present blusters. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- To menace. -- Threaten, Menace. Threaten is Anglo-Saxon, and menace is Latin. As often happens, the former is the more familiar term; the latter is more employed in formal style. We are threatened with a drought; the country is menaced with war. [ 1913 Webster ]

By turns put on the suppliant and the lord:
Threatened this moment, and the next implored. Prior. [ 1913 Webster ]

Of the sharp ax
Regardless, that o'er his devoted head
Hangs menacing. Somerville. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. To use threats, or menaces; also, to have a threatening appearance. [ 1913 Webster ]

Though the seas threaten, they are merciful. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who threatens. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. & n. from Threaten, v. -- Threat"en*ing*ly, adv. [1913 Webster]

Threatening letters (Law), letters containing threats, especially those designed to extort money, or to obtain other property, by menaces; blackmailing letters. [1913 Webster]

a. Full of threats; having a menacing appearance. Spenser. -- Threat"ful*ly, adv. [1913 Webster]

n. Same as Thrave. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]