Meanings
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1
noun
a very thin thread or fiber of natural or manufactured material
The spider drew out a fine filament of silk between two branches.
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2
noun
a thin wire that carries electric current, especially the glowing wire in an incandescent lamp
A broken filament caused the old incandescent bulb to go dark.
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3
noun
in biology or astronomy, a long threadlike structure
Under the microscope, each fungal filament appeared as a chain of cells.
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4
noun
in botany, the slender stalk of a stamen that supports the anther
The anther sits at the tip of the filament in a flower's stamen.
Thesaurus
Etymology
Borrowed from Medieval Latin filamentum, from Late Latin filare 'to spin or draw out', based on Latin filum 'thread' + -mentum, a noun-forming suffix.