The Collaborative International Dictionary
Tread \Tread\, v. i. [imp. Trod; p. p. Trodden, Trod; p. pr. & vb. n. Treading.] [OE. treden, AS. tredan; akin to OFries. treda, OS. tredan, D. & LG. treden, G. treten, OHG. tretan, Icel. tro?a, Sw. tr[*a]da, tr["a]da, Dan. tr[ae]de, Goth. trudan, and perhaps ultimately to F. tramp; cf. Gr. ? a running, Skr. dram to run. Cf. Trade, Tramp, Trot.]
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To set the foot; to step.
Where'er you tread, the blushing flowers shall rise.
--Pope.Fools rush in where angels fear to tread.
--Pope.The hard stone Under our feet, on which we tread and go.
--Chaucer. -
To walk or go; especially, to walk with a stately or a cautious step.
Ye that . . . stately tread, or lowly creep.
--Milton. -
To copulate; said of birds, esp. the males. --Shak. To tread on or To tread upon.
To trample; to set the foot on in contempt. ``Thou shalt tread upon their high places.''
--Deut. xxxiii. 29.-
to follow closely. ``Year treads on year.''
--Wordsworth.To tread upon the heels of, to follow close upon. ``Dreadful consequences that tread upon the heels of those allowances to sin.''
--Milton.One woe doth tread upon another's heel.
--Shak.
Usage examples of "to tread upon".
Like an Indian, she chose the soft pine-needle mats to tread upon, and her light-moccasined feet left no trace.
Being careful not to tread upon him, Dutiful came into the room, saying, “.
And the treacherous gravel, so easy to tread upon when you were at rest, seemed to roll and sidle under her feet, unbalancing her.
Being careful not to tread upon him, Dutiful came into the room, saying, 'You had something extra for me to pack?
There are people enough to tread upon me in my lowly state, without my doing outrage to their feelings by possessing learning.
The carpet of mist below appeared close and solid, beckoning the passengers to tread upon it.
Dean Catherine Larraby walked in a slow circle around the perimeter of an oriental rug that had been acquired in 1887 by the then chancellor of the school, whose first visitor to tread upon the new carpet happened to be William Dean Howells.
I will even accept you as my husband, since I have no choice, but I will not become one of the rushes for you to tread upon.
Mounting the steps carefully and being careful not to tread upon any toes, High Boy stepped proudly into Ozma's royal residence, Dorothy dancing ahead to announce them to the little fairy.