In this excerpt from the poem "Old Ironsides" by Oliver Wendell Holmes, what is the meaning of the word tread?

romeo and juliet, family means a lot more than a husband, wife, and 2.5 kids. "family" means everyone from the head of the household down to the lowly servants—anyone who could possibly owe any the capulets or montagues loyalty. if you're thinking "street gang" or "mafia movie," you're not too far off. that's why romeo and juliet's little love affair isn't just going to get them grounded; it's a betrayal of absolutely everything—like dating someone from a rival school or, yeah, a rival gang. we might think of family as a place of refuse and security, but, in romeo and juliet, kinship is more often a source of danger and battle.

hope that a little

what part is in bold?