Filament

[Fr., from L. Lat. fil amentum; Lat. filum, a thread. Etymol. uncertain.] A slender thread: a fibre: as. "withered veins and filaments." - Harvey. ( Bot.) The long thread-like part which supports the anther of a stamen. (Physiol.) The primitive form of all animal ti ue a thread, a fine muscular hair-an indefinite number of which bound together constitute a fibre ; a congeries of fibres similarly bound together forming a fasciculus ; and a series of fasciculi comprising a MUSCLE, q. v. Filamentoid, a. [ Filament , and Gr. eidos , form.] Of the nature of a filament. Filamentous, a. Like a thread; composed of fine filaments, or thread-like proce es. Fil'ander, n. (Zool.) See HALM AT URUS. -pl. [Fr. fil and res , from Lat. filum .] A disease peculiar to hawks, resembling filaments of congealed blood; also, small thread-like worms that breed in hawks.