First Known Use: 1594
Dictionary
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
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Origin of FILAMENT
Middle French, from Medieval Latin filamentum, from Late Latin filare to spin — more at file
Other Biology Terms
FILAMENTOUS Defined for Kids
filament
noun fil·a·ment \ˈfi-lə-mənt\
Definition of FILAMENT for Kids
1
: a fine thread <a filament of silk>
2
: a fine wire (as in a light bulb) that is made to glow by the passage of an electric current
3
: 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
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