tread

tread1 [ tred ] (past tense trod [ trad ] or tread|ed [ `tredəd ] ; past participle trod|den [ `tradn ] or trod [ trad ] ) verb *

1. ) intransitive or transitive BRITISH to walk or step on something:

tread on: As she stumbled in the dark, she trod on something hard.

a ) transitive BRITISH to press or crush something into the floor or ground when you walk

2. ) transitive if someone treads grapes, they crush them with their feet in order to make wine

tread the boards HUMOROUS

to work as an actor

tread carefully/cautiously/lightly etc.

to be very careful what you do or say, so that you do not make a mistake or cause a problem:

Investors should tread carefully until new interest rates are announced.

tread on sacred/dangerous ground

to do something that is likely to cause a problem or upset some people

tread water

1. ) to not make progress, especially because you have to wait for something else to happen first:

For now we're just treading water, but we hope negotiations will begin soon.

2. ) to stay upright in deep water by moving your legs and arms so that your head stays out of the water

tread

tread 2 [ tred ] noun

1. ) count the pattern of lines on the bottom of a shoe or the part of a tire that touches the road

2. ) singular BRITISH the sound someone makes when they walk