English Vocabulary

[CrystyB]

I didn't find this in my handy-dandy 20kwords English-R dictionary, so

[Quailman]

From the Merriam-Webster site (m-w.com):
tread water : to keep the body nearly upright in the water and the head above water by a treading motion of the feet usually aided by the hands

Used idiomatically, it means to exert oneself without making any appreciable progress.

[Merriam Webster]

Main Entry: 1tread
Pronunciation: 'tred
Function: verb
Date: before 12th century
transitive senses
1 a : to step or walk on or over b : to walk along : FOLLOW
2 a : to beat or press with the feet : TRAMPLE b : to subdue or repress
as if by trampling : CRUSH
3 : to copulate with -- used of a male bird
4 a : to form by treading : BEAT <tread a path> b : to execute by
stepping or dancing <tread a measure>
intransitive senses
1 : to move on foot : WALK
2 a : to set foot b : to put one's foot : STEP
3 : COPULATE
(expressions)
- tread·er noun
- tread on one's toes : to give offense (as by encroaching on one's
rights or feelings)
- tread water : to keep the body nearly upright in the water and the
head above water by a treading motion of the feet usually aided by the
hands


Main Entry: 2tread
Function: noun
Date: 13th century
1 : a mark (as a footprint or the imprint of a tire) made by or as if by
treading
2 a (1) : the action of treading (2) : an act or instance of treading :
STEP b : manner of stepping c : the sound of treading
3 a : the part of a shoe or boot sole that touches the ground; also : the
pattern on the bottom of a sole b (1) : the part of a wheel or tire that
makes contact with a road or rail (2) : the pattern of ridges or grooves
made or cut in the face of a tire
4 : the distance between the points of contact with the ground of the
two front wheels or the two rear wheels of a vehicle
5 a : the upper horizontal part of a step b : the width of such a tread
- tread·less /-l&s/ adjective

[Lepton]

The dictionary has spoken.

[Ghost Post]

how mant people posting here are actually teachers?
if you all are, i' amazd theres so amny teachers in the world! and, can you help me with my biology , no IS its not that section you dirty minded old sod!

[jesternl]

Metallica - The Black Album.. has a song called Don't tread on me....
And they say Metalfreaks and hardrockbands are brainless.....

------------------
GRTZ,
Jester
www.geocities.com/jesternl/antibill.html

The most exciting phrase to hear in science,
the one that heralds new discoveries, is not
"Eureka!" (I found it!) but "That's funny..."
-- Isaac Asimov