Link Centre Dictionary

tread

UK/tɹɛd/ US/ˈtrɛd/ fairly common
verb (6) noun (4)

verb

1.

put down or press the foot, place the foot

  • “For fools rush in where angels fear to tread”
  • “step on the brake”
Synonyms
2.

tread or stomp heavily or roughly

  • “The soldiers trampled across the fields”
Synonyms
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”

noun

1.

a step in walking or running

Synonyms
2.
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

Origin

From Middle English treden, from Old English tredan, from Proto-West Germanic *tredan, from Proto-Germanic *trudaną.

Phrases

  • as ever trod shoe-leather
  • don't tread on me
  • fools rush in where angels fear to tread
  • have the black ox tread on one's foot
  • tread a measure
  • tread carefully
  • tread down
  • tread in someone'ssteps

Related words

Word family

Broader terms

Narrower terms

Parts

WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.