Definition

1. Noun:
   • A thin wire (usually tungsten) that is heated white hot by the passage of an electric current: This is the thin wire inside an incandescent light bulb that glows to produce light when electricity flows through it.
   • A threadlike structure (as a chainlike series of cells): A very thin, elongated structure found in biology, such as a chain of cells or a protein fiber.
   • The stalk of a stamen: In botany, this is the slender part of a stamen that supports the anther in a flower.
   • A very slender natural or synthetic fiber: Any extremely thin, thread-like strand of material, such as silk, nylon, or glass.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The filament in the old light bulb burned out, so the room went dark.
  • Under the microscope, we observed the protein filaments within the muscle cell.
  • The filament of the stamen holds the anther up to aid in pollination.
  • This fabric is woven from fine synthetic filaments.

Advanced Usage

• "Glowing filament": Refers specifically to the heated wire in a light bulb.
  • Edison experimented with many materials before finding a suitable glowing filament.
• "Cytoskeletal filament": A technical term for protein-based threadlike structures that give shape to cells.
  • Actin is a type of cytoskeletal filament essential for cell movement.

Variants and Related Words

• Filamentous (adj): Having the form of or resembling a filament; threadlike.
  • The algae had a filamentous structure, forming long green threads in the water.

Synonyms

• Fiber: A thread or strand from which a textile is formed.
• Strand: A single thin length of thread, wire, or hair.
• Thread: A long, thin strand of cotton, nylon, or other fibers.

Related Phrases

• Filament winding: An industrial process for creating composite materials by winding filaments under tension.
  • The rocket casing was manufactured using a filament winding technique.

Noun

1. a thin wire (usually tungsten) that is heated white hot by the passage of an electric current
2. a threadlike structure (as a chainlike series of cells)
3. the stalk of a stamen
4. a very slender natural or synthetic fiber