Meaning & use
monofilament
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Meanings
nouncountable or uncountable
A single, thin, continuous strand of plastic such as nylon, used for fishing line, sewing thread and strings on garden tools.
Grammar: Uncountable for the material (monofilament is strong), countable for a particular line.
Patterns
- a line made of monofilament
- fish with monofilament
He tied a hook to the monofilament and cast it into the lake.
Monofilament is almost invisible in clear water.
The trimmer uses a length of monofilament instead of a metal blade.
nouncountablemedical
A fine nylon filament pressed against the skin to test whether a person can feel light touch, used in clinics.
Grammar: Often appears as monofilament test.
Patterns
- a monofilament test
The nurse pressed a monofilament against his toes to check his nerves.
A monofilament test is part of a routine diabetic foot check.
She could not feel the monofilament on her heel.
Word forms
| plural | monofilaments |
|---|
Common combinations
- monofilament line
- A monofilament line is cheap and easy to knot.
- nylon monofilament
- The net is woven from nylon monofilament.
- monofilament test
- The doctor ordered a monofilament test for her feet.
- monofilament thread
- Clear monofilament thread hides stitches on the hem.
- strong monofilament
- Use a strong monofilament for big fish.
Synonyms and how they differ
- mono
- Mono is the informal fishing shorthand, while monofilament is the full technical term.
- nylon line
- Nylon line names the material and is more everyday, but monofilament stresses that it is a single strand.
- braid
- Braid is a line woven from several fibres, so it is close in use but opposite in structure.
Opposites
Word family
- filament noun
- a thin thread or fibre
- multifilament noun
- a thread made of many fine strands twisted together
- mono- prefix
- meaning single or one
- filamentous adjective
- made of or resembling threads
Commonly confused: monofilament or monofilament vs braid?
monofilament vs monofilament vs braid
Monofilament is a single smooth strand that stretches slightly, while braided line is woven from several fibres and does not stretch much.
Practice
The angler chose a clear ____ line because fish could barely see it in the water.
Choose one answer.
Monofilament is a single thin, nearly transparent strand of plastic used for fishing. Steel cable, rope and cotton are thick or visible and are not suitable.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “monofilament”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.