A filamentA very thin strand or structure with several related meanings. is something very thin and threadlikeHaving the shape or appearance of a thin thread.. It can mean a fine fiber, a threadlike body part or structure, a glowing wire in a light bulb, or the stalk of a flower’s stamenThe male part of a flower that produces pollen..
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-31. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Pronunciation
AI-generated pronunciation audio (OpenAI).
Accent: General American English
IPA: /ˈfɪləmənt/
Easy pronunciation: FIL-uh-ment (approximate spelling).
Stress: Stress the first syllable.
Primary sense: a very slender natural or synthetic fiber.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-31. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Filament Meaning
a very thin fiber or threadlike strand
Part of speech: noun
Definition: a very slender natural or synthetic fiber
Example: Tiny glass filaments were woven into the material to make it stronger.
Synonyms for this meaning:
- fibril — A very fine fiber or threadlike strand.
- strand — Works in many contexts, though it can be broader than filament.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-31. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Other Meanings of Filament
Meaning 2
a thin, threadlike biological structure
Part of speech: noun
Definition: a threadlike structure (as a chainlike series of cells)
Example: The microscope revealed a filament of cells stretching across the sample.
Synonyms for this meaning:
- filum — A technical term for a threadlike structure in biology.
Meaning 3
the glowing wire in a light bulb
Part of speech: noun
Definition: a thin wire (usually tungsten) that is heated white hot by the passage of an electric current
Example: The bulb burned out when the filament snapped.
Meaning 4
the stalk that supports a flower’s pollen-bearing part
Part of speech: noun
Definition: the stalk of a stamen
Example: The long filament held up the anther.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-31. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Filament Synonyms
Similar Meaning
- fibril
- strand
a threadlike biological structure
- filum
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-31. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Common Mistakes
- People sometimes confuse filament with fiber or thread in general, but it usually means something much thinner and more specific.
- In everyday English, filament often refers to the wire inside a light bulb, not just any thin wire.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-31. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does filament mean in simple words?
A filament is a very thin strand, fiber, or wire-like structure.
What is a filament in a light bulb?
It is the thin wire inside the bulb that heats up and gives off light.
What are good synonyms for filament?
For the main sense, fibril and strand are the closest synonyms. Other senses have different technical equivalents, such as filum in biology.
Is filament the same as fiber?
Not exactly. A filament is usually a very fine fiber or threadlike strand, but it can also refer to other specific thin structures.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-31. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Word data: filament
Data: Datamuse API. Bar lengths compare relevance scores only within each group, not real-world usage frequency or percentages.
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