What does hilo in Spanish mean?

What is the meaning of the word hilo in Spanish? The article explains the full meaning, pronunciation along with bilingual examples and instructions on how to use hilo in Spanish.

The word hilo in Spanish means thread, thread, thread, trickle, wire, linen, spin, put together, string together, put together, string together, spin, in a row, in a row, almost, nearly, in view of, in connection with, build onto, build off, add to, build on, in light of, build on, in light of, go with the wind, do what everybody else does, hang by a thread, worried stiff, on pins and needles, common thread, wire, copper wire, nylon thread, tiny voice, reedy voice, dental floss, floss, discussion group, background music, keep posted, look before you leap, hang by a thread, lose track, lose the thread, lose your train of thought, pick up the thread, follow the crowd, go with the flow. To learn more, please see the details below.

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Meaning of the word hilo

thread

nombre masculino (hebra fina y larga de material textil) (long, thin cord)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)
Mi falda se rasgó y necesito hilo y una aguja para zurcirla.
My skirt ripped and I need a needle and thread to mend it.

thread

nombre masculino (hebra natural o sintética) (spun by spiders, silkworms)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)
La araña teje su telaraña con un hilo muy fino.
The spider weaved its web with a thin thread.

thread

nombre masculino (continuación, serie) (train of thought)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)
Me dormí y perdí el hilo del discurso.
I fell asleep and lost the thread of the discussion.

trickle

nombre masculino (chorro líquido muy fino) (small stream of liquid)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)
La fuente apenas echa un hilo de agua.
The fountain only has a trickle of water coming out.

wire

nombre masculino (alambre metálico muy fino) (long, flexible thread of metal)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)
Se robaron el cable de la luz de esta calle para vender el hilo de cobre.
They stole the street's electricity cable in order to sell the copper wire.

linen

nombre masculino (ropa de cáñamo o lino) (woven from flax)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)
Me he comprado un vestido de hilo blanco.
I bought myself a white linen dress.

spin

verbo transitivo (fabricar hilo)

(intransitive verb: Verb not taking a direct object--for example, "She jokes." "He has arrived.")
Aquí es donde hilaban las monjas.
This is where the nuns spin.

put together, string together

verbo transitivo (establecer una conexión)

(phrasal verb, transitive, separable: Verb with adverb(s) or preposition(s), having special meaning, divisible--for example, "call off" [=cancel], "call the game off," "call off the game.")
He estado hilando todos los detalles pero hay algo que no me cuadra.
I've been putting together (or: stringing together) the details but there is something that doesn't make sense to me.

put together, string together

verbo transitivo (recitar con coherencia)

(phrasal verb, transitive, separable: Verb with adverb(s) or preposition(s), having special meaning, divisible--for example, "call off" [=cancel], "call the game off," "call off the game.")
Está mejor pero aun no puede hilar una frase completa.
He is better but he still can't put a complete sentence together.

spin

verbo transitivo (gusano, araña: crear hilo)

(transitive verb: Verb taking a direct object--for example, "Say something." "She found the cat.")
La araña hilaba su telaraña.
The spider spun its web.

in a row

locución adverbial (sin interrupción)

(adverb: Describes a verb, adjective, adverb, or clause--for example, "come quickly," "very rare," "happening now," "fall down.")
Enumeró a hilo todos los nombres de los reyes godos, sin equivocarse.

in a row

locución adverbial (corte de un tejido)

(adverb: Describes a verb, adjective, adverb, or clause--for example, "come quickly," "very rare," "happening now," "fall down.")
Para que no se deshilache la tela, la tienes que cortar al hilo.
You have to cut the fabric in a row so that it doesn't fray.

almost, nearly

locución preposicional (proximidad temporal)

(adverb: Describes a verb, adjective, adverb, or clause--for example, "come quickly," "very rare," "happening now," "fall down.")
Nos encontrábamos ya al hilo del mediodía cuando llegó Antonio.

in view of, in connection with

locución preposicional (manifestaciones verbales)

(expression: Prepositional phrase, adverbial phrase, or other phrase or expression--for example, "behind the times," "on your own.")
No voy a decir nada al hilo de lo que ha dicho el presidente.
I am not going to say anything in connection with the president's remarks.

build onto, build off, add to

locución preposicional (pensamiento, idea)

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")
Quiero añadir un par de cosas al hilo de lo que acabas de comentar.
I want to add a couple of things to build off what you just said.

build on

locución preposicional (cambio, desarrollo)

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")
Una empresa farmacéutica ha comercializado un nuevo medicamento al hilo de los últimos desarrollos tecnológicos.
A pharmaceutical company is marketing a new medication, building on the latest technological advancements.

in light of

locución preposicional (información, noticia)

(expression: Prepositional phrase, adverbial phrase, or other phrase or expression--for example, "behind the times," "on your own.")
Al hilo de los recientes acontecimientos, vamos con la siguiente noticia.
In light of recent events, we're bringing you the following news.

build on

locución preposicional (documento escrito)

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")
Este documento está al hilo del documento anterior, por lo que creo que van juntos.
This document builds on the previous document, which leads me to believe that they go together.

in light of

locución preposicional (acuerdo, resolución)

(expression: Prepositional phrase, adverbial phrase, or other phrase or expression--for example, "behind the times," "on your own.")
Al hilo de nuestro anterior acuerdo, quisiera realizar unos cambios.
In light of our previous agreement, I wanted to make a few changes.

go with the wind

locución adverbial (vuelo de un ave)

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")
Las gaviotas se dejan llevar al hilo del viento.

do what everybody else does

locución verbal (seguir a la mayoría)

(expression: Prepositional phrase, adverbial phrase, or other phrase or expression--for example, "behind the times," "on your own.")
Siempre está andando al hilo de la gente, no tiene criterio propio.

hang by a thread

locución verbal (coloquial (peligrar) (figurative: almost every chance is gone)

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")
ⓘEsta oración no es una traducción de la original. Gerald was badly burned in the fire, and now his life is hanging by a thread.

worried stiff, on pins and needles

locución adverbial (angustiado, preocupado)

(adjective: Describes a noun or pronoun--for example, "a tall girl," "an interesting book," "a big house.")
La falta de noticias de su hijo tiene a Eva con el alma en un hilo.
The lack of news about her son has Eva worried stiff.

common thread

nombre masculino (secuencia, unidad)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)
El programa no tiene un hilo conductor.
The program does not have a unifying thread.

wire

nombre masculino (filamento)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)
Necesito un hilo de alambre para hacer la reparación.

copper wire

nombre masculino (alambre)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)
El cable está roto; puedes ver los hilos de cobre.

nylon thread

nombre masculino (filamento)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)
Hice un collar con hilo de nailon.

tiny voice, reedy voice

nombre masculino (voz muy débil)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)
Al moribundo solo le quedaba un hilo de voz.
The dying man spoke only with a tiny (or: reedy) voice.

dental floss, floss

locución nominal con flexión de género (para higiene bucal)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)
El dentista me recomendó usar seda dental.
The dentist recommended that I use dental floss.

discussion group

(curso, secuencia)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)
Debes tener un hilo discursivo en la conferencia.
You must have a discussion group at the conference.

background music

(sistema de transmisión)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)
La producción tiene un hilo musical excelente.
ⓘEsta oración no es una traducción de la original. Many retail stores still play Muzak in their display areas.

keep posted

locución verbal (tener informado)

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")
Mantenme al hilo de las noticias de la Bolsa.

look before you leap

expresión (MX (no dar un paso en falso)

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")

hang by a thread

locución verbal (en grave riesgo) (figurative)

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")
Tras el accidente, su vida pende de un hilo.
After the accident, his life hung by a thread.

lose track, lose the thread, lose your train of thought

locución verbal (charla: olvidar el tema)

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")
Disculpa, ¿podrías repetir? He perdido el hilo.
Sorry, can you repeat that? I've lost track.

pick up the thread

locución verbal (reconducir el tema)

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")
Pedro retomó el hilo de la conversación y continuó presentando su hipótesis.
Pedro got back on track with the conversation and continued presenting his hypothesis.

follow the crowd, go with the flow

locución verbal (coloquial (seguir a la mayoría)

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")
Esa mujer siempre vive al hilo del mundo; no tiene personalidad.

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Spanish (español), also known as Castilla, is a language of the Iberian-Romance group of the Romance languages, and the 4th most common language in the world according to Some sources, while others list it as a 2nd or 3rd most common language. It is the mother tongue of about 352 million people, and is spoken by 417 million people when adding its speakers as a language. sub (estimated in 1999). Spanish and Portuguese have very similar grammar and vocabulary; The number of similar vocabulary of these two languages is up to 89%. Spanish is the primary language of 20 countries around the world. It is estimated that the total number of speakers of Spanish is between 470 and 500 million, making it the second most widely spoken language in the world by number of native speakers.