1. [n]  the raised helical rib going around a screw
2. [n]  a fine cord of twisted fibers (of cotton or silk or wool or nylon etc.) used in sewing and weaving
3. [n]  the connections that link the various parts of an event or argument together; "I couldn't follow his train of thought"; "he lost the thread of his argument"
4. [n]  any long object resembling a thin line; "a mere ribbon of land"; "the lighted ribbon of traffic"; "from the air the road was a gray thread"; "a thread of smoke climbed upward"
5. [v]  thread on or as if on a string; "string pearls on a string"; "the child drew glass beads on a string"
6. [v]  pass a thread through; "thread a needle"
7. [v]  to move or cause to move in a sinuous, spiral, or circular course; "the river winds through the hills"; "the path meanders through the vineyards"; "sometimes, the gout wanders through the entire body"

1. \Thread\ (thr[e^]d), n. [OE. threed, [thorn]red, AS.
   [thorn]r[=ae]d; akin to D. draad, G. draht wire, thread, OHG.
   dr[=a]t, Icel. [thorn]r[=a][eth]r a thread, Sw. tr[*a]d, Dan.
   traad, and AS. [thorn]r[=a]wan 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.
   2. A filament, as of a flower, or of any fibrous substance,
      as of bark; also, a line of gold or silver.
   3. The prominent part of the spiral of a screw or nut; the
      rib. See {Screw}, n., 1.
   4. Fig.: Something continued in a long course or tenor; a,s
      the thread of life, or of a discourse. --Bp. Burnet.
   5. 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} (Zo["o]l.), a lasso cell. See under {Lasso}.
   {Thread herring} (Zo["o]l.), 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}.
   

2. \Thread\, 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.
   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.
            Heavy trading ships . . . threading the Bosphorus.
                                                  --Mitford.
            They would not thread the gates.      --Shak.
   3. To form a thread, or spiral rib, on or in; as, to thread a
      screw or nut.
   

1. See multithreading.

2. See threaded code.

3. topic thread.

[Jargon File]