Source : Free On-Line Dictionary of Computing

threaded code
     
         A technique for implementing {virtual machine}
        {interpreters}, introduced by J.R. Bell in 1973, where each
        {op-code} in the virtual machine {instruction set} is the
        address of some (lower level) code to perform the required
        operation.  This kind of virtual machine can be implemented
        efficiently in {machine code} on most processors by simply
        performing an {indirect jump} to the address which is the next
        instruction.
     
        Many {Forth} implementations use threaded code and nowadays
        some use the term "threading" for almost any technique used to
        implement Forth's virtual machine.
     
        {(http://www.complang.tuwien.ac.at/forth/threaded-code.html)}.
     
        ["James R. Bell", "Threaded Code", CACM, 1973, 16, 6, pp
        370-372].
     
        ["An Architectural Trail to Threaded Code Systems", Kogge,
        P. M., IEEE Computer, March 1982].
     
        (1998-09-02)