faden

Faden is a German noun meaning thread, filament, or strand. It denotes a slender, flexible line or material and is used in both everyday language and specialized terminology. The plural form is Fäden.

Textiles and crafts: In sewing and textiles, Faden occurs in compound terms such as Nähfaden (sewing thread). It also describes any thread-like material used in weaving, embroidery, or other fabric arts.

Science and engineering: In lighting technology, Glühfaden refers to the filament of an incandescent lamp. In other technical contexts, Faden is used to describe thread-like structures, such as fibers or filaments in various mechanical, optical, or biological settings.

Biology and medicine: German scientific language uses Faden to denote thread-like forms, including filaments in cells or organisms. It appears in terms referring to slender structures and in names of organisms with thread-like features, such as Fadenwurm (threadworm).

Language and culture: Metaphorically, Faden can denote a storyline or line of argument—the “thread” of a narrative or discussion that connects ideas across a text or conversation.

Names and places: Faden also appears as a surname in German-speaking areas and may occur in place names or geographic terms in some regions, though it is not a common standalone toponym.