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filament Definition

fila·ment (filə mənt)

noun

  1. a very slender thread or fiber
  2. 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
  3. Bot. the stalk of a stamen bearing the anther

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

filament Related Forms

fil′a·men·tary (-mentə rē) adjective fil′a·men·tous (-mentəs) adjective

filament Synonyms

filament

n.

filament Usage Examples

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.

Browse dictionary entries near filament

  1. fila
  2. filé
  3. Fijian
  4. Fiji
  5. figwort
  6. figurine
  7. figurehead
  8. figured
  9. figure skating
  10. figure of speech
  1. filar
  2. filaree
  3. filaria
  4. filariasis
  5. filature
  6. filbert
  7. filch
  8. file
  9. File and Print Sharing
  10. file clerk