tread

[ tred ]
/ trɛd /

verb (used without object), trod, trod·den or trod, tread·ing.

verb (used with object), trod, trod·den or trod, tread·ing.

noun

Idioms for tread

Origin of tread

before 900; (v.) Middle English treden, Old English tredan; cognate with Old Frisian treda, Old Saxon tredan, Dutch treden, German treten; akin to Old Norse trotha, Gothic trudan; (noun) Middle English tred footprint, derivative of the v.

OTHER WORDS FROM tread

tread·er, noun o·ver·tread, noun sub·tread, noun

British Dictionary definitions for tread water

tread
/ (trɛd) /

verb treads, treading, trod, trodden or trod

noun

Derived forms of tread

treader, noun

Word Origin for tread

Old English tredan; related to Old Norse trotha , Old High German tretan, Swedish träda

Idioms and Phrases with tread water (1 of 2)

tread water

Expend effort that maintains one's status but does not make much progress toward a goal, as in He was just treading water from paycheck to paycheck. This idiom alludes to the term's literal meaning, that is, “keep one's head above water by remaining upright and pumping the legs.”

Idioms and Phrases with tread water (2 of 2)

tread