Adjacent Words

Tread definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

TREAD, v.i. tred. pret. trod; pp. trod, troden. [L. trudo.]
1. To set the foot.
Where'er you tread, the blushing flow'rs shall rise.
Fools rush in where angels fear to tread.
2. To walk or go.
Every place whereon the soles of your feet shall tread, shall be yours. Deutoronomy 11.
3. To walk with form or state.
Ye that stately tread, or lowly creep.
4. To copulate, as fowls.
To tread or tread on, to trample; to set the foot on in contempt.
Thou shalt tread upon their high places. Det.33.
TREAD, v.t. tred. To step or walk on.
Forbid to tread the promis'd land he saw.
1. To press under the feet.
2. To beat or press with the feet; as, to tread a path; to tread land when too light; a well trodden path.
3. To walk in a formal or stately manner.
He thought she trod the ground with greater grace.
4. To crush under the foot; to trample in contempt or hatred, or to subdue. Psa
44:60.
5. To compress, as a fowl.
To tread the state, to act as a stage-player; to perform a part in a drama.
To tread or tread out, to press out with the feet; to press out wine or wheat; as, to tread out grain with cattle or horses.
They tread their wine presses and suffer thirst. Job 24.
TREAD, n. tred. A step or stepping; pressure with the foot; as a nimble tread; cautious tread; doubtful tread.
1. Way; track; path. [Little used.]
2. Compression of the male fowl.
3. Manner of stepping; as, a horse has a good tread.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: a step in walking or running [syn: pace, stride, tread]
2: the grooved surface of a pneumatic tire
3: the part (as of a wheel or shoe) that makes contact with the ground
4: structural member consisting of the horizontal part of a stair or step v
1: put down or press the foot, place the foot; "For fools rush in where angels fear to tread"; "step on the brake" [syn: step, tread]
2: tread or stomp heavily or roughly; "The soldiers trampled across the fields" [syn: tread, trample]
3: crush as if by treading on; "tread grapes to make wine"
4: brace (an archer's bow) by pressing the foot against the center
5: apply (the tread) to a tire
6: mate with; "male birds tread the females"

Merriam Webster's

I. verb (trod; also treaded; trodden or trod; treading) Etymology: Middle English treden, from Old English tredan; akin to Old High German tretan to tread Date: before 12th century transitive verb 1. a. to step or walk on or over b. to walk or proceed along ; follow <treading a fine line between tradition and innovation> 2. a. to beat or press with the feet ; trample b. to subdue or repress as if by trampling ; crush 3. to copulate with — used of a male bird 4. a. to form by treading ; beat <tread a path> b. to execute by stepping or dancing <tread a measure> intransitive verb 1. to move or proceed on or as if on foot <must tread lightly> 2. a. to set foot <has gone where others fear to tread> b. to put one's foot ; step <carelessly treading on the flowers> 3. copulate • treader noun II. noun Date: 13th century 1. a mark (as a footprint or the imprint of a tire) made by or as if by treading 2. a. (1) the action of treading (2) an act or instance of treading ; step b. manner of stepping c. the sound of treading 3. a. the part of a shoe or boot sole that touches the ground; also the pattern on the bottom of a sole b. (1) the part of a wheel or tire that makes contact with a road or rail (2) the pattern of ridges or grooves made or cut in the face of a tire 4. the distance between the points of contact with the ground of the two front wheels or the two rear wheels of a vehicle 5. a. the upper horizontal part of a step b. the width of such a tread • treadless adjective

Oxford Reference Dictionary

v. & n. --v. (trod; trodden or trod) 1 intr. (often foll. by on) a set down one's foot; walk or step (do not tread on the grass; trod on a snail). b (of the foot) be set down. 2 tr. a walk on. b (often foll. by down) press or crush with the feet. 3 tr. perform (steps etc.) by walking (trod a few paces). 4 tr. make (a hole etc.) by treading. 5 intr. (foll. by on) suppress; subdue mercilessly. 6 tr. make a track with (dirt etc.) from the feet. 7 tr. (often foll. by in, into) press down into the ground with the feet (trod dirt into the carpet). 8 tr. (also absol.) (of a male bird) copulate with (a hen). --n. 1 a manner or sound of walking (recognized the heavy tread). 2 (in full tread-board) the top surface of a step or stair. 3 the thick moulded part of a vehicle tyre for gripping the road. 4 a the part of a wheel that touches the ground or rail. b the part of a rail that the wheels touch. 5 the part of the sole of a shoe that rests on the ground. 6 (of a male bird) copulation. Phrases and idioms: tread the boards (or stage) be an actor; appear on the stage. tread on air see AIR. tread on a person's toes offend a person or encroach on a person's privileges etc. tread out 1 stamp out (a fire etc.). 2 press out (wine or grain) with the feet. tread water maintain an upright position in the water by moving the feet with a walking movement and the hands with a downward circular motion. tread-wheel a treadmill or similar appliance. Derivatives: treader n. Etymology: OE tredan f. WG

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Tread Tread, v. i. [imp. Trod; p. p. Trodden, Trod; p. pr. & vb. n. Treading.] [OE. treden, AS. tredan; akin to OFries. treda, OS. tredan, D. & LG. treden, G. treten, OHG. tretan, Icel. tro?a, Sw. tr[*a]da, tr["a]da, Dan. tr[ae]de, Goth. trudan, and perhaps ultimately to F. tramp; cf. Gr. ? a running, Skr. dram to run. Cf. Trade, Tramp, Trot.] 1. To set the foot; to step. Where'er you tread, the blushing flowers shall rise. --Pope. Fools rush in where angels fear to tread. --Pope. The hard stone Under our feet, on which we tread and go. --Chaucer. 2. To walk or go; especially, to walk with a stately or a cautious step. Ye that . . . stately tread, or lowly creep. --Milton. 3. To copulate; said of birds, esp. the males. --Shak. To tread on or upon. (a) To trample; to set the foot on in contempt. ``Thou shalt tread upon their high places.'' --Deut. xxxiii. 29. (b) to follow closely. ``Year treads on year.'' --Wordsworth. To tread upon the heels of, to follow close upon. ``Dreadful consequences that tread upon the heels of those allowances to sin.'' --Milton. One woe doth tread upon another's heel. --Shak.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Tread Tread, v. t. 1. To step or walk on. Forbid to tread the promised land he saw. --Prior. Methought she trod the ground with greater grace. --Dryden. 2. To beat or press with the feet; as, to tread a path; to tread land when too light; a well-trodden path. 3. To go through or accomplish by walking, dancing, or the like. `` I am resolved to forsake Malta, tread a pilgrimage to fair Jerusalem.'' --Beau. & Fl. They have measured many a mile, To tread a measure with you on this grass. --Shak. 4. To crush under the foot; to trample in contempt or hatred; to subdue. Through thy name will we tread them under that rise up against us. --Ps. xliv. 5. 5. To copulate with; to feather; to cover; -- said of the male bird. --Chaucer. To tread out, to press out with the feet; to press out, as wine or wheat; as, to tread out grain with cattle or horses. To tread the stage, to act as a stageplayer; to perform a part in a drama.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Tread Tread, n. 1. A step or stepping; pressure with the foot; a footstep; as, a nimble tread; a cautious tread. She is coming, my own, my sweet; Were it ever so airy a tread, My heart would hear her and beat. --Tennyson. 2. Manner or style of stepping; action; gait; as, the horse has a good tread. 3. Way; track; path. [R.] --Shak. 4. The act of copulation in birds. 5. (Arch.) The upper horizontal part of a step, on which the foot is placed. 6. (Fort.) The top of the banquette, on which soldiers stand to fire over the parapet. 7. (Mach.) (a) The part of a wheel that bears upon the road or rail. (b) The part of a rail upon which car wheels bear. 8. (Biol.) The chalaza of a bird's egg; the treadle. 9. (Far.) A bruise or abrasion produced on the foot or ankle of a horse that interferes. See Interfere, 3.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(treads, treading, trod, trodden) 1. If you tread on something, you put your foot on it when you are walking or standing. Oh, sorry, I didn't mean to tread on your foot... VERB: V on n 2. If you tread in a particular way, you walk that way. (LITERARY) She trod casually, enjoying the touch of the damp grass on her feet. VERB: V adv 3. A person's tread is the sound that they make with their feet as they walk. (WRITTEN) We could now very plainly hear their heavy tread. N-SING: supp N, N of n 4. If you tread carefully, you behave in a careful or cautious way. If you are hoping to form a new relationship tread carefully and slowly to begin with... VERB: V adv 5. The tread of a step or stair is its flat upper surface. He walked up the stairs. The treads were covered with a kind of rubber and very quiet. N-COUNT 6. The tread of a tyre or shoe is the pattern of thin lines cut into its surface that stops it slipping. The fat, broad tyres had a good depth of tread. N-VAR 7. If someone is treading a fine line or path, they are acting carefully because they have to avoid making a serious mistake, especially in a situation where they have to deal with two opposing demands. They have to tread the delicate path between informing children and boring them... PHRASE: V inflects, oft PHR between pl-n 8. If you tread a particular path, you take a particular course of action or do something in a particular way. He continues to tread an unconventional path... PHRASE: V inflects 9. If someone who is in deep water treads water, they float in an upright position by moving their legs slightly. PHRASE: V inflects 10. If you say that someone is treading water, you mean that they are in an unsatisfactory situation where they are not progressing, but are just continuing doing the same things. I could either tread water until I was promoted, which looked to be a few years away, or I could change what I was doing. PHRASE: V inflects 11. to tread on someone's toes: see toe

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

tred.

See WINE PRESS.

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. v. n. 1. Set the foot. 2. Walk, go. II. v. a. 1. Set the foot on, walk on, step on. 2. Stamp upon, press down with the foot, beat with the foot. 3. Crush under foot, trample. 4. Subdue, subject. 5. Cover (as a male bird the female), copulate with. III. n. 1. Step, stepping. 2. Gait, manner of stepping.

Moby Thesaurus

amble, ambulate, amount, ankle, caliber, career, circumambulate, clip, clop, clump, compass, cut, degree, doorstep, drag, droop, drub, extent, flounce, foot, foot it, footfall, footrest, footstep, gait, gallop, grade, height, hippety-hop, hitch, hobble, hoof, hoof it, hoofbeat, hop, interval, jaywalk, jog, jog on, jump, leap, leg, leg it, level, lick, limp, lock step, lurch, march, mark, measure, mince, mincing steps, notch, nuance, pace, pad, paddle, pas, pedestrianize, peg, perambulate, period, peripateticate, piaffer, pitch, plane, plateau, point, prance, progress, proportion, rack, range, rate, ratio, reach, remove, rest, riser, roll, round, rundle, rung, saunter, scale, scope, scuttle, shade, shadow, shamble, shuffle, shuffle along, sidle, single-foot, skip, slink, slither, slouch, slowness, space, spoke, stagger, stair, stalk, stamp, standard, stave, step, step stool, stepping-stone, stint, stomp, stride, string, stroll, strolling gait, strut, stump it, swagger, swing, toddle, totter, trace, track, traipse, trample, travel, troop, trot, velocity, waddle, walk