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filamentous

filamentous

1 8.2
Thin and long like a thread or hair
  • adjective
  • /ˌfɪləˈmɛntəs/
translation icon : filamentoso
  • In amyloid, however, Beta/A4 takes the form of highly insoluble filamentous aggregates.
  • filamentous algae
  • filamentous fungus
  • filamentous haemagglutinin

Examples

  • The fibers are filamentous proteins found in any kind of cell.

    Academic text (2009)
  • Some boulders were covered with a fur of brown diatoms and green filamentous algae, while others were scraped clean.

    Academic text (1992)
  • Chlorine will still be required for filter cleaning and filamentous control.

    Academic text (2002)
  • You've got an antitubulin antibody with a green dye and you can see the the filamentous structure there.

  • We closely inspected slower swimmers for filamentous structures outside and between the larval segments and inside their bodies.

    Academic text (2015)
  • The peptide is inactive against bacteria, but it is highly potent against filamentous fungi.

    Academic text (2003)
  • Sulfur bacteria range from complex filamentous Beggiatoa and Thiothrix species to the rod-shaped Thiobacillus species.

    Academic text (2000)
  • Macrophytes usually decline in diversity and abundance, but filamentous algae (e.g., Mougeotia, Zygnema) can increase (Schindler 1994).

    Academic text (2000)
  • The bulk of the thallus consists of filamentous chains of the blue-green alga Nostoc, whose thick sheaths compose the structural matrix of the thallus.

    Academic text (2001)
  • The tank is filled with a variety of plants, but the most noticeable are the long, filamentous strands of algae that float gently in the water.

Synonyms

thready
vsfilamentous
8 7.9

Being thin and like a small string

is the general thin form term rather than emphasizing fineness
stringy
vsfilamentous
4 3.3

Having long thin strands that stretch like melted cheese

describes thinness without implying a coarse or textured surface
threadlike
vsfilamentous
1 4.2

Very thin and long like a single hair

is the general word for thin, thread-like appearance
filiform
vsfilamentous
  • Specialized
9.9

A very thin shape like a thread

is broader, meaning thin and thread-like in general appearance
filamentlike
vsfilamentous
7.5

Thin and long like a thread

is the more general descriptor for thin, thread-like form
filariform
vsfilamentous
  • Specialized
9.9

Shaped like a thin thread in parts of living things

is the general appearance term not limited to biology
hairlike
vsfilamentous
4.3

Very thin and like a strand of hair

is broader, covering thin shapes not only very delicate ones
fibrillar
vsfilamentous
  • Specialized
7.7

Having many tiny threads in body tissue

is a general visual term not tied to biological fiber context
fibrillary
vsfilamentous
  • Specialized
9.0

Having thin fibers in body tissue

focuses on simple thin shape rather than fiber-based tissue

How Threadlike

filamentous
1 8.2
filamentary
1 7.9
threadlike
1 4.2

Surface Forms

filamentous positive

Morphology

filamentous = filament (transparent) = filament + ous

Formed by the noun 'filament' + adjectival suffix '-ous' meaning 'having the quality of' a filament; the meaning is directly predictable.

Etymology

The word filamentous comes from the Latin filamentum, from fil- meaning 'thread'. Think of a lightbulb's thin wire or a piece of thread, which shows why filamentous describes something very thin and 'thread-like'.