A thread is a process that shares its parents memory, this can reduce overhead and memory footprint.

Processes are created using the clone system call. The parent process recieves the pid of the child, and the child recieves a return value of 0. Each process must have a parent. The file descriptors and variables are exact copies.

thrash = T = three-finger salute

thread n.

[Usenet, GEnie, CompuServe] Common abbreviation of `topic thread', a more or less continuous chain of postings on a single topic. To `follow a thread' is to read a series of Usenet postings sharing a common subject or (more correctly) which are connected by Reference headers. The better newsreaders can present news in thread order automatically. Not to be confused with the techspeak sense of `thread', e.g. a lightweight process.

Interestingly, this is far from a neologism. The OED says: "That which connects the successive points in anything, esp. a narrative, train of thought, or the like; the sequence of events or ideas continuing throughout the whole course of anything;" Citations are given going back to 1642!

--Jargon File, autonoded by rescdsk.

EDIT ME!
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Log in: "everyone" Password: "everyone"
First created by: rescdsk
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SHI ito (thread)

ASCII Art Representation:

                    %%%,
                     %%%%%
                     %%%%"
                    %%%%"     %%,
        "%,,       %%%"       %%%%,
          "%%%,  ,%%"        ,%%%%%%
           "%%%%%%"          %%%%%"
            "%%%%%,         ,%%%%"
             "%%%%%%       %%%%"
              "%%%%%%   ,,%%%"      "%%,,
               "%%%%%,%%%%"           "%%%%,
   ,            ,,%%%%""  ,,,,,,,,,%%%%%%%%%%,
  %%%%%,,,,,%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%"""""%%%%%%
  "%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%"""            "%%%%%
   "%%%""""""""       %%%%                "%%"
            ,%,,      %%%%  ,,,,
            %%%%%%    %%%%    ""%%,,
           %%%%%"     %%%%       "%%%%,,
          %%%%%"      %%%%         "%%%%%%,
         %%%%"        %%%%           "%%%%%%,
       ,%%%"          %%%%             "%%%%%%
     ,%%""            %%%%              "%%%%%
  ,,""                %%%%                "%%"
                      "%%"

Character Etymology:

From a pictograph of a skein of yarn, heavily styilized.

A Listing of All On-Yomi and Kun-Yomi Readings:

on-yomi: SHI
kun-yomi: ito

English Definitions:

1. SHI: thread; one ten-thousandth of a hair.
2. ito: thread, yarn; gut; string (of a violin); fishing line.

Unicode Encoded Version:

糸

Unicode Encoded Compound Examples:

製糸 (seishi): silk making.
毛糸 (keito): woolen yarn.
糸巻き (itomaki): spool, bobbin, reel;beam (in weaving); turning peg.

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In Anne McCaffrey's Pern books, the threads are spores of fungus, silvery in color, that grow in the Pern's neighboring planet Red Star, travel across the intervening space when the planets are close each other (this time is known as Pass) and drop on Pern's surface. They burrow to the ground and eat everything organic they get in touch with. Those things seem to prefer places with vegetation.

There are many methods with which the Pernfolk fight the threads. The oldest method involves Pern's dragons that can scorch the threads mid-air. Other methods, in case the threads reach the ground, include (as far as I can remember) use of acids and flamethrowers. There's also a type of insect that eats the thread (or so says Zerotime; I have some faint memories about this, I have to check this.)

(The Perlese dragons fight the Thread module. The authors of the Camel Book do note that "Pern" is what you get when you do "Perl"++ twice.)

The Thread module in Perl implements threads. As of Perl 5.6, this module is deprecated; It deals with the "5005threads", the old thread model from Perl 5.005 days (that is not that good, for example, many special variables were not thread-safe!). Code for 5.6 and later should use the threads and threads::shared modules (note lower case), which use "ithread" model (separate thread for each intepreter). For ithread users, the Thread module attempts to emulate 5005threads, but it's probably better to stick with threads from now on. To see which thread models are supported on your installation, see perl -V and look for "use5005threads" or "useithreads".

Thread (?), n. [OE. threed, red, AS. rd; akin to D. draad, G. draht wire, thread, OHG. drat, Icel. rar a thread, Sw. tr�x86;d, Dan. traad, and AS. rawan to twist. See Throw, and cf. Third.]

1.

A very small twist of flax, wool, cotton, silk, or other fibrous substance, drawn out to considerable length; a compound cord consisting of two or more single yarns doubled, or joined together, and twisted.

2.

A filament, as of a flower, or of any fibrous substance, as of bark; also, a line of gold or silver.

3.

The prominent part of the spiral of a screw or nut; the rib. See Screw, n., 1.

4.

Fig.: Something continued in a long course or tenor; a,s the thread of life, or of a discourse.

Bp. Burnet.

5.

Fig.: Composition; quality; fineness.

A neat courtier, Of a most elegant thread. B. Jonson.

Air thread, the fine white filaments which are seen floating in the air in summer, the production of spiders; gossamer. -- Thread and thrum, the good and bad together. [Obs.] Shak. -- Thread cell Zool., a lasso cell. See under Lasso. -- Thread herring Zool., the gizzard shad. See under Gizzard. -- Thread lace, lace made of linen thread. -- Thread needle, a game in which children stand in a row, joining hands, and in which the outer one, still holding his neighbor, runs between the others; -- called also thread the needle.

© Webster 1913.

Thread, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Threaded; p. pr. & vb. n. Threading.]

1.

To pass a thread through the eye of; as, to thread a needle.

2.

To pass or pierce through as a narrow way; also, to effect or make, as one's way, through or between obstacles; to thrid.

Heavy trading ships . . . threading the Bosphorus. Mitford.

They would not thread the gates. Shak.

3.

To form a thread, or spiral rib, on or in; as, to thread a screw or nut.

© Webster 1913.