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tread
[ tred ]
verb (used without object)
- to set down the foot or feet in walking; step; walk.
- to step, walk, or trample so as to press, crush, or injure something (usually followed by on or upon ):
to tread on a person's foot.
- (of a male bird) to copulate.
verb (used with object)
- to step or walk on, about, in, or along.
- to trample or crush underfoot.
- to form by the action of walking or trampling:
to tread a path.
- to treat with disdainful harshness or cruelty; crush; oppress.
- to perform by walking or dancing:
to tread a measure.
- (of a male bird) to copulate with (a female bird).
noun
- the action of treading, stepping, or walking.
- the sound of footsteps.
- manner of treading or walking.
- a single step as in walking.
- any of various things or parts on which a person or thing treads, stands, or moves.
- the part of the under surface of the foot or of a shoe that touches the ground.
- the horizontal upper surface of a step in a stair, on which the foot is placed.
- the part of a wheel, tire, or runner that bears on the road, rail, etc.
- the pattern raised on or cut into the face of a rubber tire.
- Also caterpillar tread. a metal tread on which a Caterpillar-style vehicle moves.
- Railroads. that part of a rail in contact with the treads of wheels.
tread
/ ٰɛ /
verb
- to walk or trample in, on, over, or across (something)
- whenintr, foll by on to crush or squash by or as if by treading
to tread on a spider
to tread grapes
- intrsometimes foll byon to subdue or repress, as by doing injury (to)
to tread on one's inferiors
- tr to do by walking or dancing
to tread a measure
- tr (of a male bird) to copulate with (a female bird)
- tread lightlyto proceed with delicacy or tact
- tread on someone's toesto offend or insult someone, esp by infringing on his sphere of action, etc
- tread waterto stay afloat in an upright position by moving the legs in a walking motion
noun
- a manner or style of walking, dancing, etc
a light tread
- the act of treading
- the top surface of a step in a staircase
- the outer part of a tyre or wheel that makes contact with the road, esp the grooved surface of a pneumatic tyre
- the part of a rail that wheels touch
- the part of a shoe that is generally in contact with the ground
- vet science an injury to a horse's foot caused by the opposite foot, or the foot of another horse
- a rare word for footprint
Derived Forms
- ˈٰ, noun
Other 51Թ Forms
- ٰ· noun
- ··ٰ noun
- ܲ·ٰ noun
51Թ History and Origins
Origin of tread1
51Թ History and Origins
Origin of tread1
Idioms and Phrases
- tread on someone's toes / corns, to offend or irritate someone.
- tread the boards, to act on the stage, especially professionally:
He recalled the days when he had trod the boards.
- tread water,
- Swimming. to maintain the body erect in the water with the head above the surface usually by a pumping up-and-down movement of the legs and sometimes the arms.
- Slang. to make efforts that maintain but do not further one's status, progress, or performance:
He's just treading water here until he can find another job.
- tread lightly / carefully / softly. tread lightly.
More idioms and phrases containing tread
- fools rush in where angels fear to tread
- step (tread) on one's toes
Example Sentences
“It’s as much fun as it looks,” he says, adding that he can’t really give advice to his former small-screen sibling about treading the boards.
Having found John, his family decided they needed to tread carefully.
Smashing manifesto promises is not something governments do lightly and Labour would tread particularly carefully around these flagship pledges on the economy, so often for many a perceived weak spot in the party's credibility.
The case was under a media and political microscope, forcing De Castro to tread carefully.
He said that the team left it too late to stop for treaded tyres when the rain came with 13 laps to go - he stopped three laps after Norris and one after Verstappen.
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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