Thread
/θrɛd/noun
A long, thin strand of twisted fibers used for sewing or weaving.
Did you know?Thread belongs to an ancient Germanic family tied to the idea of twisting and torsion, which is why its cousins include words for something as ordinary as a thread and as shocking as a torque-like twist.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*tre-
“to twist, turn”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*þrædą
“thread, twisted strand”
Old English
Old English
þrǣd
“thread, filament, line”
Middle English
Middle English
thred
“thread, sewing thread”
Modern English
English
thread
“a thin strand of fiber; also a connected series of messages or ideas”