filament

[ fil-uh-muhnt ]

noun

1. a very fine thread or threadlike structure; a fiber or fibril:

   filaments of gold.

2. a single fibril of natural or synthetic textile fiber, of indefinite length, sometimes several miles long.
3. a long slender cell or series of attached cells, as in some algae and fungi.
4. Botany. the stalklike portion of a stamen, supporting the anther.
5. Ornithology. the barb of a down feather.
6. (in a light bulb or other incandescent lamp) the threadlike conductor, often of tungsten, in the bulb that is heated to incandescence by the passage of current.
7. Electronics. the heating element (sometimes also acting as a cathode) of a vacuum tube, resembling the filament in an incandescent bulb.
8. Astronomy. a solar prominence, as viewed within the sun's limb.

filament

/ ˌfɪləˈmɛntərɪ; ˈfɪləmənt; -trɪ /

noun

1. the thin wire, usually tungsten, inside a light bulb that emits light when heated to incandescence by an electric current
2. electronics a high-resistance wire or ribbon, forming the cathode in some valves
3. a single strand of a natural or synthetic fibre; fibril
4. botany
   1. the stalk of a stamen
   2. any of the long slender chains of cells into which some algae and fungi are divided
5. ornithol the barb of a down feather
6. anatomy any slender structure or part, such as the tail of a spermatozoon; filum
7. astronomy
   1. a long structure of relatively cool material in the solar corona
   2. a long large-scale cluster of galaxies

filament

/ fĭl′ə-mənt /

1. A fine or slender thread, wire, or fiber.
2. The part of a stamen that supports the anther of a flower; the stalk of a stamen.
3. See more at flower
4. 1. A fine wire that gives off radiation when an electric current is passed through it, usually to provide light, as in an incandescent bulb, or to provide heat, as in a vacuum tube.
   2. A wire that acts as the cathode in some electron tubes when it is heated with an electric current.
5. Any of the dark, sinuous lines visible through certain filters on the disk of the Sun. Filaments are solar prominences that are viewed against the solar surface rather than being silhouetted along the outer edges of the disk.
6. See more at prominence

Derived Forms

• filamentary, adjective

Other Words From

• fila·ment·ed adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of filament¹

1585–95; < New Latin fīlāmentum, equivalent to Late Latin fīlā ( re ) to wind thread, spin ( file ¹ ) + Latin -mentum -ment

Word History and Origins

Origin of filament¹

C16: from New Latin fīlāmentum , from Medieval Latin fīlāre to spin, from Latin fīlum thread

Example Sentences

The library in Williamsburg itself is illuminated with antique filament bulbs and everything inside is of the past or a nod to it.

From The Daily Beast

The B voltage gives the plate a positive charge to attract electrons from the filament.

From The Daily Beast

When you connect the A battery, the filament of the tube is heated to release negatively charged electrons.

From The Daily Beast

Electrons travel through the partial vacuum inside the tube, flowing from the filament to the positively charged plate.

From The Daily Beast

Many tubes also have small structures, known as grids, between the filament and the plate.

From The Daily Beast

In the gill filament the blood comes into contact with the free oxygen of the water bathing the gills.

From Project Gutenberg

Something has been previously said of the difficulties attending the making of the filament for the incandescent light.

From Project Gutenberg

The large hairs have their root, and even part of the filament, enclosed in a small membraneous vessel or capsule.

From Project Gutenberg

When a sufficient current was passed through the filament, it glowed with a dazzling lustre.

From Project Gutenberg

At one side stand the warps, very tall and interesting to see, with their lines of delicate filament and high tiers of bobbins.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• fiber
• thread