Simple definition
A CPU thread is a logical execution context presented to software by a physical processor core.
Purpose and use
A software thread is an execution flow that the operating system can schedule on a logical processor.
How does it work?
A hardware thread instead describes a processor-exposed execution context, potentially sharing a core with other contexts.
Example and verification
Distinguish application-created threads from the number of available logical processors.
Points to watch
Creating more software threads does not create physical resources and can increase waiting or contention.
In short
Specify whether thread means a software or hardware context when sizing workloads.