filament

noun fil·a·ment \ˈfi-lə-mənt\

: a thin thread or hair

: a thin wire in a light bulb that glows when electricity passes through it

Full Definition of FILAMENT

: a single thread or a thin flexible threadlike object, process, or appendage: as

a : a tenuous conductor (as of carbon or metal) made incandescent by the passage of an electric current; specifically : a cathode in the form of a metal wire in an electron tube

b (1) : a thin and fine elongated constituent part of a gill (2) : an elongated thin series of cells attached one to another or a very long thin cylindrical single cell (as of some algae, fungi, or bacteria)

c : the anther-bearing stalk of a stamen — see flower illustration

— fil·a·men·ta·ry \ˌfil-ə-ˈmen-t(ə-)rē\ adjective

— fil·a·men·tous \-ˈmen-təs\ adjective

See filament defined for English-language learners

See filament defined for kids

Origin of FILAMENT

Middle French, from Medieval Latin filamentum, from Late Latin filare to spin — more at file

First Known Use: 1594

Related to FILAMENT

Synonyms: bristle, fiber, hair, thread

Other Biology Terms

autochthonous, fecund, homunculus, phylogeny, substrate

FILAMENT Defined for Kids

filament

noun fil·a·ment \ˈfi-lə-mənt\

Definition of FILAMENT for Kids

: a fine thread <a filament of silk>

: a fine wire (as in a light bulb) that is made to glow by the passage of an electric current

: the stalk of a plant stamen that bears the anther

Medical Dictionary

filament

noun fil·a·ment \ˈfil-ə-mənt\

Medical Definition of FILAMENT

: a single thread or a thin flexible threadlike object, process, or appendage; especially : an elongated thin series of cells attached one to another or a very long thin cylindrical single cell (as of some algae, fungi, or bacteria)

—fil·a·men·tous \ˌfil-ə-ˈment-əs\ adjective