filament

fila·ment (fil′ə mənt)

noun

a very slender thread or fiber
a threadlike part; specif.,
1. the fine metal wire in a light bulb which becomes incandescent when heated by an electric current
2. the cathode of a thermionic tube, usually in the form of a wire, which may be electrically heated
Bot. the stalk of a stamen bearing the anther

Etymology: Fr < ML filamentum < LL filare, to spin < L filum: see file

fil′a·men′·tary (-men′tə rē) adjective fil′a·men′·tous (-men′təs) adjective

Converse of object

sever: Under some conditions cofilin severs actin filaments, providing new plus ends for nucleation of actin filament growth.

Adjective modifier

helical: Each motor drives a protruding helical filament, and the rotating filaments provide the propulsive force for cells to swim.
thin: The thin filament is made of a protein called actin.
intermediate: A type of intermediate filament found in epithelial cells.
thick: The thicker filament also means that the bulbs are more robust.
fungal: Potential therapeutic application of fungal filaments in wound management.
heated: Once valves with indirectly heated filaments appeared things changed dramatically.

Modifies a noun

bulb: The current lighting on skips is a filament bulb within a steel casing, which is often stolen or knocked off by passing traffic.
lamp: What do I do with all the old filament lamps I've just removed?
yarn: Chapter 3 examines the prices of and market for spun yarn whilst Chapter 4 examines acetate filament yarn.
silk: Basics Silk Thread 100 % pure filament silk in two popular sizes.
dynamics: We conclude that precise control of actin filament dynamics by UNC-60B is required for proper integration of actin into myofibrils.

Noun used with modifier

actin: Video recording showed the fluorescent actin filament rotating like a propeller.
tungsten: A few decades ago a new design for tungsten filament lamps appeared on the scene.
myosin: A myosin filament contains several hundred myosin molecules in two bundles packed end to end.
gill: Dactylogyrus 01 ( Gill fluke ) ( 212 kb ) A gill fluke on the edge of a gill filament at 100x magnification.
polyester: The mix of polyester filaments are coated in a gloss finish, making them easy to clean.
nylon: For a festive version, try black glitter yarn or add a fine metallic or nylon light-reflective filament.

Preposition: in

bulb: WHAT'S HAPPENING The flap of grape skin briefly acts in a similar way to the thin filament in a light bulb.

Preposition: of

bulb: This predicted dependence is tested for the filament of a flashlight bulb.

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