thread of an argument
- noun
:
hilo del argumento
- I don't know anything about nuclear physics, and even when I thought I had managed to pick up the thread of an argument, I was immediately thrown off by a gloss on Thomas Aquinas or Origen.
Examples
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In her essay, she lost the thread of an argument after including too many unrelated facts.
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To better understand the thread of an argument, he took notes during the debate.
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The professor explained the thread of an argument in his lecture, making it easier for the students to follow his reasoning.
Synonyms
897
6.3
A way of thinking used to make an argument
372
4.3
A connected set of ideas or messages that follow the same topic
43
3.1
A main idea in a talk or report
13
3.9
The most important part of a problem or discussion
8
4.2
A set of connected reasons that lead to a conclusion
5
2.9
The most important point someone makes in a discussion or essay
4
5.6
The most important part of a problem or discussion
1
5.6
The main point someone makes in a discussion
The most important point people discuss in a disagreement
The main point of a discussion or argument
Antonyms
How Central
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase combines 'thread' (metaphorically 'a continuous line') with 'of an argument', so the meaning 'the main line or continuous idea running through reasoning' is directly inferable from the constituents. This metaphorical usage of 'thread' to mean a line of thought is common cross-linguistically and follows normal English composition, so a B1 learner who knows the words can readily understand it.
Etymology
Thread of an argument comes from the image of a single thread running through a piece of cloth and holding the parts together. So the 'thread' in an argument is the one idea that ties all the points, which is why it means 'main idea'.