strand

A strand refers to one thin length or line of something. It often names a single piece of thread, fiber, wire, hair, or another long, narrow material. For example, you might brush a strand of hair from your face, notice a strand of silk in a piece of cloth, or talk about the separate strands twisted together to make a rope or cable.

The word also has a coastal meaning. In older or more literary English, a strand can be a beach, shore, or narrow strip of land beside the sea. You might read about a lonely strand, a rocky strand, or waves washing onto the strand. This is one of the oldest meanings of the word.

Figuratively, a strand can mean one part of something larger and more complex. People speak of a strand of an argument, a strand in a story, or different strands of research coming together. In this sense, the word suggests one line of thought or one element that forms part of a bigger whole.

This shore meaning is also connected to the word "stranded." Originally, it referred to being driven onto a shore and left there, as with a ship. Today, "stranded" usually means being stuck somewhere without a way to continue. Across these uses, a strand often carries the idea of something long, narrow, and connected, whether it is a hair, a shoreline, or one part of a larger pattern.