filament

noun

Etymology: Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *gʷʰiH-(s-)lo-der. Proto-Italic *fī(s)lom Latin fīlum Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂ Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂yéti Proto-Italic *-āō Latin -ō Late Latin fīlō Proto-Indo-European *-mn̥ Proto-Indo-European *-mn̥tom Proto-Italic *-mentom Latin -mentum Medieval Latin fīlāmentumbor. English filament Borrowed from Medieval Latin fīlāmentum, from Late Latin fīlō (“to spin, draw out in a long line”), from Latin fīlum (“thread”).

1. A fine thread or wire.
2. Such a wire, as can be heated until it glows, in an incandescent light bulb or a thermionic valve.

   “Lighting was unimaginative for the standard stock with naked tungsten filament bulbs and metal reflectors. However, all compartments had individual reading lights above the seats with attractive glass shades.”

3. A massive, thread-like structure, such as those gaseous ones which extend outward from the surface of the sun, or such as those (much larger) ones which form the boundaries between large voids in the universe.

   “solar filament”

   “galaxy filament”

4. The stalk of a flower stamen, supporting the anther.
5. A continuous object, limited in length only by its spool, and not cut to length.
6. A continuous object, limited in length only by its spool, and not cut to length.