Etymology : Middle English treden, from Old English tredan; akin to Old High German tretan to tread
Pronunciation : 'tred
Function : verb
Date : before 12th century
1. stepping, walking; sound of walking; single step; imprint of a tire or foot; pattern of ridges cut into a tire. step, walk, stride; step on. tread\tread\ , v. i. [imp. trod ; p. p. trodden , trod; p. pr. & vb. n. treading.] [oe. treden, as. tredan; akin to ofries. treda, os. tredan, d. & lg. treden, g. treten, ohg. tretan, icel. tro a, sw. tr?da, tr?da, dan. tr?de, goth. trudan, and perhaps ultimately to f. tramp; cf. gr. a running, skr. dram to run. cf. trade, tramp, trot.].
2. to set the foot; to step. where'er you tread, the blushing flowers shall rise. fools rush in where angels fear to tread. the hard stone under our feet, on which we tread and go.
3. to walk or go; especially, to walk with a stately or a cautious step. ye that stately tread, or lowly creep.
4. to copulate; said of birds, esp. the males.
5. To set the foot; to step.
6. To walk or go; especially, to walk with a stately or a cautious step.
7. To copulate; said of birds, esp. the males.
8. To step or walk on.
9. To beat or press with the feet; as, to tread a path; to tread land when too light; a well- trodden path.
10. To go through or accomplish by walking, dancing, or the like.
11. To crush under the foot; to trample in contempt or hatred; to subdue.
12. To copulate with; to feather; to cover; said of the male bird.
13. A step or stepping; pressure with the foot; a footstep; as, a nimble tread; a cautious tread.
14. Manner or style of stepping; action; gait; as, the horse has a good tread.
15. Way; track; path.
16. The act of copulation in birds.
17. The upper horizontal part of a step, on which the foot is placed.
18. The top of the banquette, on which soldiers stand to fire over the parapet.
19. The part of a wheel that bears upon the road or rail.
20. The part of a rail upon which car wheels bear.
21. The chalaza of a bird's egg; the treadle.
22. A bruise or abrasion produced on the foot or ankle of a horse that interferes.
23. See Interfere, 3. structural member consisting of the horizontal part of a stair or step the part that makes contact with the ground the grooved surface of a pneumatic tire brace by pressing the foot against the center mate with; "male birds tread the females" crush as if by treading on; "tread grapes to make wine" tread or stomp heavily or roughly; "The soldiers trampled across the fields" apply to a tire.
24. 1. If you tread on something, you put your foot on it when you are walking or standing. Oh, sorry, I didn't mean to tread on your foot.
25. If you tread in a particular way, you walk that way. She trod casually, enjoying the touch of the damp grass on her feet.
26. A person's tread is the sound that they make with their feet as they walk. We could now very plainly hear their heavy tread.
27. If you tread carefully, you behave in a careful or cautious way. If you are hoping to form a new relationship tread carefully and slowly to begin with.
28. The tread of a step or stair is its flat upper surface. He walked up the stairs. The treads were covered with a kind of rubber and very quiet.
29. The tread of a tyre or shoe is the pattern of thin lines cut into its surface that stops it slipping. The fat, broad tyres had a good depth of tread.
30. If someone is treading a fine line or path, they are acting carefully because they have to avoid making a serious mistake, especially in a situation where they have to deal with two opposing demands. They have to tread the delicate path between informing children and boring them.
31. If you tread a particular path, you take a particular course of action or do something in a particular way. He continues to tread an unconventional path.
32. If someone who is in deep water treads water, they float in an upright position by moving their legs slightly.
33. If you say that someone is treading water, you mean that they are in an unsatisfactory situation where they are not progressing, but are just continuing doing the same things. I could either tread water until I was promoted, which looked to be a few years away, or I could change what I was doing.
34. to tread on someone's toes: see:
toe.