Words / B2

THRED/θred/

A thread is a long thin strand of cotton or similar, or a line of argument / online posts: lose the thread; a discussion thread. Theme is a big idea (already in the dictionary); threat is danger (already elsewhere). Do not lose the thread of the argument in paragraph three. Mix-up: threat / tread. Do not call a whole novel a thread.

Meaning

A long thin strand of cotton or similar; also a line of argument or online posts.

Examples

• “Do not lose the thread of the argument in paragraph three, the marker wrote.”
• “A sewing thread featured in the textiles practical, which is the fibre sense.”

Good to know

lose / pick up the thread; a discussion / email thread; a thread of + argument. Trap: threat / tread. Essays, IT, and DT. A strand, or a line you follow — not the whole theme.

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