THRED'BARE, adjective [thread and bare.] Worn to the naked thread; having the nap worn off; as a threadbare coat; threadbare clothes. 1. Worn out; trite; hackneyed; used till it has lost its novelty or interest; as a threadbare subject; state topics and threadbare quotations.
Source: Webster's 1828 American Dictionary ↗ · public-domain · returned verbatim, no AI