1. U C 线，细线　 (length of) spun cotton, wool, silk, etc.; thin strand of nylon, etc.
2. C 线索，思路　 line of thought connecting parts of a story, etc.

　make ～　纺线
　reel ～ out　放线
　sew with ～　用线缝纫
　tangle the ～s　使线缠结在一起
　wind ～　绕线
　break the ～　打断话头，打断思路
　gather up the ～s　把（问题的）各部分联系起来
　hang by a ～　千钧一发，岌岌可危
　lose the ～　抓不住论点，失去头绪
　pick up the ～s　接着讲下去
　coarse ～　粗线
　coloured ～s　彩色线
　common ～　共同主线
　fine ～　质细的线
　heavy ～　粗线
　tangled ～s　缠结在一起的线
　tenuous ～　细线
　thin ～　细线
　cotton ～　纱线
　flax ～　麻线
　gold ～s　金线
　nylon ～　尼龙线
　rayon ～　人造丝
　silk ～　丝线
　silver ～s　银线
　a piece of ～　一段线
　a reel of ～　线团，线圈
　the ～s of a spider web　蛛网丝
　a ～ of hope　一线希望
　～ of life　生命线，命脉，生命
　a ～ of water　一条细细的流水

　The thread is formed into a ball.　线结成球形。
　Fasten the thread off with a knot.　把线打个结系牢。
　Let me take that piece of thread off your skirt.　让我把你裙子上的线头扯掉。
　I need some red thread to sew this dress.　我需要一些红线缝制这件连衣裙。
　You sew with thread.　用线缝纫。
　To sew a button on, you need a needle and thread.　缝纽扣需要针和线。
　The spider hung by a thread.　蜘蛛悬在一根丝上。
　There are threads of wool on your dress.　你的衣服上有几根毛。
　A thread of light came through the crack in the door.　一道光线从门缝中透进来。
　A thread of white smoke climbed up the sky.　一缕白烟袅袅升上天空。
　A thread of poetry marked all his writing.　他所有的作品都带有一丝诗意。
　There is a consistent thread running through all these policies.　所有这些政策中贯穿着一条始终如一的主线。
　I return to a thread of my story.　中断之后我又接着把故事讲下去。
　I went shopping and got some threads.　我上街买了些衣服。

 ♣ hang by a (single) thread
　千钧一发，岌岌可危　(of a person's life, etc.) depend on sth small
　His life hung by a single thread.　他的生命这时危在旦夕。
　The survival of the coalition hung by a thread.　该联盟的继续存在已岌岌可危。
　John isn't failing geometry, but he's just hanging on by a thread.　约翰几何虽然考及格了，但是也挺悬的。
 ♣ lose the thread (of)
　失去（议论故事等的）头绪　be unable to follow an argument, story, etc.
　She lost the thread of what she was saying.　她记不清自己讲到哪里了。
　Once you lose the thread of the argument, you have no hope of defeating your opponent.　你一旦抓不住辩论的要点，你就没有希望击败你的对手。
 ♣ pick〔take〕 up the threads
　（谈话等中断后）继续讲下去；（关系等中断后）继续下去　resume one's line of reasoning/way of life after a break
　It's difficult to pick up the threads of a conversation when it has been interrupted.　谈话一被打断就很难重新接上话茬。
　I've just gone back to work after being off ill for two weeks and I'm finding it difficult to pick up the threads.　我病假两周后回去上班，结果发现工作很难继续下去。
　It's good to take up the threads of our old friendship after such a long absence.　时隔这么久之后重新恢复我们的老交情，这很好。
 ♣ worn to the/a thread
　破烂不堪的　in rags or tatters
　Your shoes are worn to a thread; you need a new pair.　你的鞋已破烂不堪了，你得买双新的。
　The furniture was scanty and the coverings were worn to the thread.　只有很少的几件家具，而且家具套都很破旧。

 ♣ thread, cord, line, rope, string, wire
　参见cord条。

1. vt.将（针、线等）穿过… pass needle, thread, string, etc. through (sth)
2. vt.将…穿过…而置于备用位置　 pass (film, tape, etc.) through sth and into the required position for use

　～ a camera　给照相机装上胶卷
　～ a forest　穿过森林
　～ a street　穿过一条街道
　～ beads　把珠子穿成一串
　～ narrow alleys　穿过小巷
　～ carefully　小心翼翼地穿过
　～ dexterously　熟练地穿过
　～ skillfully　熟练地穿过
　～ into　把…穿〔装，插〕入…
　～ on　把…穿在…上
　～ through　把…穿过…，小心翼翼地穿过…

　The child threaded the beads.　这孩子用线把珠子串起来。
　We threaded the forest.　我们穿过森林。
　Please thread me a needle.　请给我穿根针。
　Shall I thread the needle for you?　要我给你穿针吗?

 ♣ thread into　(v.+prep.)
　把…穿〔装，插〕入…　pass sth into the required position for use; insert sth into sth
　The little girl helped her grandmother to thread the wool into the needle.　小姑娘帮助奶奶把毛线穿到针上。
　She threaded the film into a projector.　她把电影胶片装入放映机。
　He threaded several causal ideas into a charming essay.　他把几段有关因果的概念穿插在一篇引人入胜的文章中。
 ♣ thread on　(v.+prep.)
　把…穿在…上　pass (sth such as a thread) on the required position for use
　How do you thread a needle on this sewing machine?　你怎么把针穿在这台缝纫机上?
　She was threading pearls on a string to make a necklace.　她正在把珍珠穿成一串项链。
 ♣ thread through　(v.+prep.)
1. （把…)穿过… pass (sth such as a thread) through (a hole, etc.)
　The wire threaded through small loops.　金属丝穿过许多小环。
　This wool is too thick for me to thread it through the eye of this fine needle.　对我来说，这毛线太粗了，我没法把它穿过这么小的针眼。
2. 小心翼翼地穿过…；妥善处理… find a way to pass carefully through (sth such as a crowd) or deal satisfactorily with (sth such as a difficulty)
　They had to thread through the narrow passages.　他们不得不穿过狭窄的通道。
　We were able to thread but slowly through the intricate reports.　我们弄懂了这些复杂的报告，只是很慢。
　Threading my way through the crowd, I soon reached the front.　我小心翼翼地穿过人群，很快到了前面。
　We got there quicker by threading our way through the back streets.　穿过偏僻的街道，我们能够快些到达那儿。
　I should be able to thread my way through the difficulties facing me in my new job.　我能克服在新工作中面临的困难。
　Mr. White threaded his way through the legal entanglements.　怀特先生成功地解决了这些法律纠纷。

　［派生词］ thready adj.线的；线做的；线状的，丝状的；（人的脉搏）微弱的，微细的
　［同义词］ n. cotton, course, direction, drift, film, line, string; story line, theme v. ease, inch, meander, pass, string, weave, wind
　［词源］　古英语throed（线，线索）