Rethreaded

Part of speech: verb, adjective

Definitions

1. To restore or reinforce by inserting new threads; to revise a sequence or argument by weaving in new elements; to pass a thread through again for repair or adjustment
2. To renew fabric or a material by adding threads; to alter or reinterpret a narrative by introducing fresh threads; to guide a thread through a needle or fabric once more for mending
3. To repair textiles by threading anew; to rework a discourse or idea by integrating different threads; to string a thread through something again for fixing or enhancement

Etymology: "Rethreaded" is simply "re-" plus "threaded," the past tense and past participle of "thread." "Thread" traces back to Old English "þrǣd," a word for a twisted strand of fibre, related to "þrawan," to twist or turn. The re- prefix comes from Latin "re-," meaning "again" or "back," and is attached to English verbs freely, so forms like this are formed on the spot whenever a speaker needs them. The verb sense of "thread," meaning to pass a thread through the eye of a needle or through a series of beads, goes back to the same Old English root. From there, the metaphorical use spread: a discourse or narrative could be "threaded" with recurring ideas, the way cloth is woven with strands of colour. The extension to repairing or reworking an argument follows naturally from the same image.

Synonyms: restrung, rewired, restringed, retied, rewoven