<B>threshold, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a piece of wood or stone under a door; doorsill. <DD><B> 2. </B>the entrance to a house or building; doorway. <DD><B> 3. </B>(Figurative.) a point of entering; beginning point. <BR> <I>Ex. to be at the threshold of war. The scientist was on the threshold of an important discovery. I was on the threshold of a surprising adventure (W. Somerset Maugham).</I> <DD><B> 4. </B>(Psychology, Physiology.) the point at which a given stimulus begins to be perceptible, or the point at which two stimuli can be differentiated; limen. <BR> <I>Ex. a person with a high threshold of pain.</I> </DL>
<A NAME="threw">
<B>threw, </B>verb.<DL COMPACT><DD> past tense of <B>throw.</B> <BR> <I>Ex. He threw a stone and ran away.</I> </DL>
<A NAME="thrice">
<B>thrice, </B>adverb.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>three times. <BR> <I>Ex. He knocked thrice.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>in threefold quantity or degree. <BR> <I>Ex. The giant was thrice as strong as an ordinary man.</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>(Figurative.) very; greatly; extremely. </DL>
<A NAME="thrid">
<B>thrid, </B>verb, <B>thridded,</B> <B>thridding.</B><DL COMPACT><DD> (Archaic.) to thread. </DL>
<A NAME="thrift">
<B>thrift, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>absence of waste; saving; economical management; habit of saving. <BR> <I>Ex. By thrift she managed to get along on her small salary. A bank account encourages thrift.</I> (SYN) economy, frugality. <DD><B> 2. </B>any one of a genus of low plants with pink, white, or lavender flowers that grow on mountains and along seashores; statice. <DD><B> 3. </B>vigorous growth, as of a plant. <DD><B> 4. </B>(Archaic or Dialect.) industry; labor; employment. <DD><B> 5. </B>(Obsolete.) prosperity. </DL>
<A NAME="thriftinstitution">
<B>thrift institution,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a savings and loan association, credit union, or similar financial institution that accepts savings. </DL>
<B>thrift shop,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> (U.S.) a shop in which second-hand articles in good condition are sold at low prices and usually paid for by the shopkeeper after he has sold them. <BR> <I>Ex. The entire proceeds from the sale of donated articles at the thrift shop have gone to charity (New York Times).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="thrifty">
<B>thrifty, </B>adjective, <B>thriftier,</B> <B>thriftiest.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>careful in spending; economical; saving. <BR> <I>Ex. a thrifty housewife.</I> (SYN) provident, frugal, sparing. <DD><B> 2. </B>thriving; flourishing; vigorous. <BR> <I>Ex. a thrifty plant.</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>prosperous; successful. <BR> <I>Ex. The countryside had many fine, thrifty farms.</I> adv. <B>thriftily.</B> noun <B>thriftiness.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="thrill">
<B>thrill, </B>noun, verb.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>noun </I> <B>1. </B>a shivering, exciting feeling. <BR> <I>Ex. a thrill of pleasure or fear, the thrill of adventure or discovery. She gets a thrill whenever she sees a parade.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>a vibration or quivering; throbbing; tremor. <DD><B> 3. </B>an abnormal vibration or fine tremor that can be heard with a stethoscope when listening to the heart or lungs. <DD><I>v.t. </I> <B>1. </B>to give a shivering, exciting feeling to. <BR> <I>Ex. Stories of adventure thrilled him.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>to cause to tremble or quiver; make vibrate. <BR> <I>Ex. to thrill the air with music.</I> <DD><I>v.i. </I> <B>1. </B>to have a shivering, exciting feeling. <BR> <I>Ex. The children thrilled with joy at the sight of the parade.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>to tremble; quiver. <BR> <I>Ex. Her voice thrilled with excitement.</I> (SYN) vibrate, throb. </DL>
<A NAME="thriller">
<B>thriller, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a person or thing that thrills. <BR> <I>Ex. For 75 minutes the plane circled. The final landing was a thriller (Time).</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>(Informal.) a play, story, or motion picture filled with excitement or suspense. <BR> <I>Ex. There has been no better thriller in London since the war than "Dial M for Murder" (London Times).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="thrillerdiller">
<B>thriller-diller, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> (Slang.) a sensational story; thriller. </DL>
<A NAME="thrilling">
<B>thrilling, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>affecting with a thrill of emotion. <BR> <I>Ex. wild thrilling sounds (Herman Melville).</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>vibrating or quivering. <DD><B> 3. </B>(Obsolete.) piercing. adv. <B>thrillingly.</B> noun <B>thrillingness.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="thrippence">
<B>thrippence, </B>noun. <B>=threepence.</B></DL>
<A NAME="thrips">
<B>thrips, </B>noun sing. (occasionally plural with singular <B>thrip.</B>)<DL COMPACT><DD> any one of an order of small, narrow, winged or wingless insects. The winged species usually have four narrow wings fringed with hairs. Most varieties are destructive to plants and grains. Some spread virus and fungus. </DL>
<A NAME="thrive">
<B>thrive, </B>intransitive verb, <B>throve</B> or <B>thrived,</B> <B>thrived</B> or <B>thriven,</B> <B>thriving.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>to grow or develop well; grow vigorously. <BR> <I>Ex. Most flowers will not thrive without sunshine.</I> (SYN) flourish. <DD><B> 2. </B>to be successful; grow rich; turn out well; prosper. <BR> <I>Ex. He that would thrive Must rise at five He that hath thriven May lie till seven (John Clarke).</I> (SYN) succeed. adv. <B>thrivingly.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="thriver">
<B>thriver, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a person or thing that thrives. </DL>
<A NAME="thro">
<B>thro'</B> or <B>thro, </B>preposition, adverb, adjective. <B>=through.</B></DL>
<A NAME="throat">
<B>throat, </B>noun, verb.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>noun </I> <B>1. </B>the front of the neck, containing the passages from the mouth to the stomach and lungs. <BR> <I>Ex. She had a muffler wrapped around her throat.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>the passage from the mouth to the stomach or the lungs. <BR> <I>Ex. A bone stuck in his throat.</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>any narrow passage. <BR> <I>Ex. The throat of the mine was blocked by fallen rocks.</I> <DD><B> 4. </B>the narrow or narrowest part of anything, such as the shaft of a column, the handle of a racket, or the fluke of an anchor. <DD><I>v.t. </I> <B>1. </B>to utter from or in one's throat; speak or sing throatily. <DD><B> 2. </B>to provide with a narrow part or passageway; groove, flute, or channel. <BR><I>expr. <B>at each other's throat</B> (or <B>throats</B>), </I>fighting or quarrelling. <BR> <I>Ex. Nations that had formerly been at each other's throats had learned to live together via the trade route (New York Times).</I> <BR><I>expr. <B>cut one's throat,</B> </I>to defeat or destroy one; put an end to someone. <BR> <I>Ex. Leaders who have been actively trying to cut each other's throats were suddenly enveloped in each other's arms (Time).</I> <BR><I>expr. <B>have</B> (or <B>hold</B>) <B>by the throat,</B> </I>to have at one's mercy; hold in one's power. <BR> <I>Ex. They can expect no public sympathy for ... an attempt to inflate their salaries to vast levels by, as a body, holding a proud airline by the throat (London Times).</I> <BR><I>expr. <B>jump down one's throat,</B> </I>(Informal.) to attack or criticize a person with sudden violence. <BR> <I>Ex. The fact that he has made a mistake is no excuse for jumping down his throat.</I> <BR><I>expr. <B>lie in one's throat,</B> </I>to lie brazenly and boldly. <BR> <I>Ex. Whoever charged him with the plot lied in his throat (Washington Irving).</I> <BR><I>expr. <B>lump in one's throat.</B> </I>See under <B>lump</B> (1). <BR><I>expr. <B>ram</B> (<B>force,</B> <B>shove,</B> or <B>cram</B>) <B>down one's throat,</B> </I>to force (an opinion, situation, or circumstance) on one's acceptance. <BR> <I>Ex. The referendum proposal had to be rammed down the throats of De Gaulle's unhappy ministers (Atlantic).</I> <BR><I>expr. <B>stick in one's throat,</B> </I>to be hard or unpleasant to say. <BR> <I>Ex. Amen stuck in my throat (Shakespeare).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="throatcutting">
<B>throat-cutting, </B>noun, or <B>throat cutting,</B><DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a cutting of the throat to maim or kill. <DD><B> 2. </B>(Informal.) a deliberate attempt to harm or ruin another or others for personal advantage in a competitive situation. </DL>
<A NAME="throated">
<B>-throated,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> (combining form.) having a ______ throat. <BR> <I>Ex. White-throated = having a white throat.</I> </DL>
<A NAME="throatlatch">
<B>throatlatch, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a strap that passes under a horse's throat and helps to hold the bridle in place. </DL>
<A NAME="throatsweetbread">
<B>throat sweetbread,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> the thymus gland, especially of a calf, used as food. </DL>
<A NAME="throaty">
<B>throaty, </B>adjective, <B>throatier,</B> <B>throatiest.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>produced or modified in the throat; guttural or velar. <BR> <I>Ex. The young girl had a throaty voice.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>low-pitched and resonant. <BR> <I>Ex. The engine started with a throaty roar.</I> adv. <B>throatily.</B> noun <B>throatiness.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="throb">
<B>throb, </B>verb, <B>throbbed,</B> <B>throbbing,</B> noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>v.i. </I> <B>1. </B>to beat rapidly or strongly. <BR> <I>Ex. a heart throbbing with joy. The long climb up the hill made her heart throb. His wounded arm throbbed with pain.</I> (SYN) pulsate, palpitate. <DD><B> 2. </B>to beat steadily. <BR> <I>Ex. propellers or engines that throb.</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>to quiver; tremble. <BR> <I>Ex. The leaves throbbed in the breeze.</I> <DD><I>noun </I> <B>1. </B>a rapid or strong beat. <BR> <I>Ex. A sudden throb of pain shot through his head.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>a steady beat. <BR> <I>Ex. the throb of a pulse.</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>a quiver; tremble. noun <B>throbber.</B> adv. <B>throbbingly.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="throe">
<B>throe, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a violent spasm or pang; great pain. <BR><I>expr. <B>throes,</B> <DD><B> a. </B>anguish; agony. </I> <I>Ex. in the very throes of its fell despair (Benjamin Disraeli).</I> <DD><B> b. </B>(Figurative.) a desperate struggle; violent disturbance. <BR> <I>Ex. When a nation is in the throes of revolution, wild spirits are abroad in the storm (James Froude).</I> <DD><B> c. </B>labor pangs (in childbirth). <BR> <I>Ex. My womb ... Prodigious motion felt and rueful throes (Milton).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="thrombi">
<B>thrombi, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> plural of <B>thrombus.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="thrombin">
<B>thrombin, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> an enzyme in blood serum which reacts with fibrinogen to form fibrin, causing blood to clot. </DL>