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Glite Dictionary
👣 To step on 👟 Grip surface 🦶 A step sound 🐦 To mate (bird) 🚗 To add grip 🏹 To brace a bow
to tread

to tread

1 9.9
To climb onto a female bird to mate
  • verb
  • /trɛd/
  • Specialized
translation icon : montar
  • A female is not fit for the Divine Art, not fit to tread the Path to the Sea.

Examples

  • All Obama has to do is tread water.

    Blog text (2)

  • "Yes, only fools rush in where angels fear to tread."

    Blog text (11)

  • I stand by my thinking that this is ground you need to tread very carefully on.

    Blog text (11)

  • But SEO professionals should tread lightly when expressing what they have and have not done.

    Blog text (11)

  • I treaded water and watched her widen the distance.

    Fiction book (1995)

  • "They treaded water together.

    Fiction book (1995)

  • How can, in one month, 873,000 people magically become employed when the job market is so pathetic and our GDP growth is barely treading water?

    Blog text (2)

  • Another time, he is haunted by the worst atrocity he ever committed, his own personal shame that he is constantly atoning for (the atrocity is shown in Fear to Tread).

    Blog text (11)

  • In the wild, the male bird carefully treads on the female's back during courtship rituals.

  • During mating season, the peacock can be seen treading to attract the attention of the peahens.

Synonyms

to mount
vsto tread
  • NSFW
20 8.8

To climb onto another animal to mate with it

is specific to male birds that climb onto females to mate
to serve
vsto tread
  • Specialized
14 8.6

To mate with a female animal to produce young

describes male birds climbing onto females rather than general breeding mating

Idioms

to tread the boards
1 8.6

To act on a stage in front of an audience

Phrasal Verbs

to tread lightly
9 5.6

To act carefully to avoid hurting feelings or making mistakes

to tread on
7 3.3

To put your foot on something, often by accident

to tread carefully
6 3.9

Act carefully to avoid mistakes, danger, or upsetting others

to tread down
5.3

Make something flat by walking on it again and again

Compounds

caterpillar tread
  • Specialized
6.0

A continuous metal belt that helps vehicles like tanks and bulldozers move over rough ground

tread-softly
  • Specialized
9.9

A tropical plant with stinging hairs that make the skin hurt

tread-wheel
  • Archaic
9.9

A large wheel turned by people or animals walking inside it to power a mill

Surface Forms

tread infinitive
treading present participle
treads third person singular
trod past
trod past participle

Etymology

A helpful way to remember this bird sense of tread is to think of a male stepping onto a female; the old verb meant 'to step' or 'to press'. So to tread a female bird is to mount her during mating.